Ministers have announced an increase in the number of days funded for judges to hear criminal cases in an effort to reduce the severe backlog in Crown Courts across England and Wales. This decision by the Ministry of Justice follows two critical reports highlighting how delays in the justice system are failing crime victims.
Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove warned that prolonged delays have left some victims so distressed that they have turned to substance abuse or self-harm.
The new funding will increase the total number of sitting days for judges to 110,000 in the next financial year, up from 108,000. However, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged that this boost is still insufficient to clear the record number of pending cases. Currently, there are 73,000 unresolved prosecutions, a number expected to rise. Some defendants are being told their trials may not take place until 2027 or even 2028.
The backlog has been exacerbated by years of court funding cuts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a barristers’ strike over pay. As a result, a record 17,000 defendants are being held on remand, occupying one-fifth of the available prison spaces in an already overcrowded system.
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr previously urged Parliament to allocate more court sitting days, emphasizing that the existing cap on hearings had forced court leaders to reschedule cases and cancel work for part-time judges who play a crucial role in reducing delays.
A comprehensive review of ways to speed up criminal trials is ongoing. Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Mahmood described the increase in sitting days as “unprecedented” but admitted it was not enough. “The volume of cases entering the system means the backlog will continue to grow unless further policies are introduced,” she said.
Reports Highlight Failings in Justice System
Two separate reports have cast doubt on the government’s urgency in tackling the crisis.
Baroness Newlove’s latest report described justice as feeling “out of reach” for many victims, warning that the trauma of delays is pushing some to despair. She urged the government to reverse planned cuts of around 4% to victim support services, which are already under heavy strain. “With funding cuts looming, we risk victims giving up on seeking justice altogether—adding a second injustice to the first,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee raised concerns that the Ministry of Justice has “accepted” that delays will worsen until the findings of a major review by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson are implemented. Committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown called the situation “a terrible indictment of our criminal justice system,” warning that reforms are urgently needed to restore the UK’s once-renowned legal standards.
Legal professionals argue that the increased sitting days will only have a limited impact. Criminal Bar Association chair Mary Prior KC said that at least 110,000 days had been required since 2022 and called for an uncapped allocation of sitting days for at least the next five years.
Defence barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind also noted that while the additional days were welcome, they were insufficient to make a lasting impact. “This is a lifeboat—it will help, but not for long,” she said, adding that many courtrooms are in dire condition and require further investment.
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