Criminal Justice is an issue which is pivotal to the fabric and future of our country - and fundamentally Labour has a big task on its hands after 13 years of Tory neglect. The Justice system was one of the departments most savaged by the austerity agenda, and frankly, it’s on its knees.

From the disgracefully long waits for victims to courthouses crumbling into disrepair to prisoners sleeping in cells with rats and cockroaches, the list of problems goes on.

In this edition our members have written pieces on the court system, domestic abuse and prisons to pick just a handful, offering solutions to these problems. This will be a key area as fair access to justice is one of the cornerstones of our democratic system, yet this cornerstone has been left out to weather since 2010 and as such is weaker as a result. This is especially true for the most vulnerable in our society and a number of the articles in this magazine focus on their experiences and what can be done to support them.

We also have guest pieces from Marsha de Cordova MP, and Kim McGuiness PPC and we thank them for their contributions.