Crown court judges to sit at record level to tackle delays – Justice Secretary
The Government also confirmed funding for repairs and maintenance for courts will rise from £120 million last year to £148.5 million this year.
Crown court judges will sit for a record number of days in the next financial year as part of Government efforts to tackle the backlog of cases.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said judges will sit collectively for 110,000 days in the next year, 4,000 more than allocated for the previous period, to help victims see justice done faster.
The move comes as the Victims Commissioner published a report on Tuesday warning that the record levels of crown court delays are deepening the trauma of victims and making many feel justice is “out of reach”.
Meanwhile a report from the Public Accounts Committee raised concerns ministers had “simply accepted” the record-high crown court backlog will continue to grow and it will wait for the results of the Leveson Review before planning changes to tackle it.
The major review led by Sir Brian Leveson is expected to report on reforms to the court system in the spring.
It comes amid a rising backlog in England and Wales which has almost doubled in five years to 73,105 at the end of September last year.
Ms Mahmood said: “This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog, with justice delayed and denied for far too many victims.
“Bearing down on that backlog is an essential element of our Plan for Change, bringing offenders to justice to keep our streets safe.
“Funding a record number of sitting days is a critical first step.
“But there is more that we must and we will do.
“I have asked Sir Brian Leveson to consider radical reforms to deliver the swifter justice that victims deserve.”
The extra sitting days will also apply to immigration and asylum tribunal cases, bringing them to near maximum capacity, to help speed up asylum claims, the Ministry of Justice said.
The Government confirmed funding for repairs and maintenance across the courts and tribunal estate is to rise from £120 million last year to £148.5 million this year.
Repairs will include remedial works for crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) at Harrow Crown Court, which has been closed since August 2023, and fixing leaking roofs and out-of-order lifts.
Funding will also be given to new courts being built, such as a 30-hearing room tribunal centre at Newgate Street in London, and a county and family court in Reading.
Reacting to the announcement, Law Society of England and Wales president Richard Atkinson said they were welcome steps.
He added: “But sitting days are still not at the maximum the Lady Chief Justice has said is possible to achieve.
“While the funding increase for court maintenance is only a small fraction of the £1.3 billion repairs backlog for courts and tribunals reported by the National Audit Office.”
