Judge refuses to stand aside amid row over UK Covid trial delays

Lawyer raises concern over removal of previous judge who has refused to keep other defendants in custody

A senior judge has refused to step down from a case involving custody time limits after she replaced another judge who criticised the government over delays in delivering justice.

Mrs Justice Whipple, a high court judge, was asked to step in to decide whether or not a defendant should continue to be held in custody for more than a year awaiting a trial date that has repeatedly been delayed during the coronavirus pandemic.