The justice system is to benefit from an additional 1,250 Crown Court sitting days as part of plans to tackle the courts backlog. The additional capacity means the Crown Court will be able to sit for a total of 111,250 days this year; up by 5,000 compared to last year and reaching the highest levels on record say the government.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy, said:
“The Crown Court backlog we inherited stands at over 78,000 and behind each case is a real person, waiting years for justice. That is why we are acting with the biggest investment on record as part of our Plan for Change. An additional 1,250 sitting days will be allocated to the Crown Court this financial year, allowing it to hear many extra cases.”
But Lammy acknowledged ‘there is more to do.’ The investment brings some short term relief to the justice sector with the criminal courts backlog sitting around 78,000 cases – an estimated three to four in some cases. Only major ‘generational’ reform will address the crisis in our courts added the deputy prime minister
The government is currently reviewing the first phase of Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to identify ways to reform the courts system.
While investment in criminal courts is welcome, family lawyers have been left reeling by cuts to the number sitting days in the London Financial Remedies Court announced in recent weeks by president of the family division, Sir Andrew McFarlane. McFarlane said judicial resources will be cut due to insufficient allocation of family court sitting days for the 2025/26 financial year following a requirement from the Ministry of Justice more family court time be scheduled for public law cases.
The proportion of financial remedies work will fall to less than the 13% of total sitting days currently allocated; which have not proved to be enough the result of which is planned FDR sitting days will be cancelled causing ‘some unwelcome difficulties’ acknowledged McFarlane. It is understood financial remedy hearings will be double-listed alongside trials and overflow courts at the Royal Courts of Justice will also be suspended.
