17 June 2022
The backlog in the Crown Court has increased not decreased, according to official HM Courts and Tribunals figures, published last week
The number of outstanding cases rose to 58,271 in April, from 57,870 in March.
Expressing concern, Law Society vice president Lubna Shuja said: ‘Looking at the longer view, the backlog is decreasing at a snail’s pace―by just 286 cases in six months from November 2021 and April 2022―but the fact the backlog has gone up again in the most recent month tells us the problem will not be resolved without a radical shift from the Ministry of Justice.’
Shuja called for ‘urgent action to ensure there are enough judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers to cover the huge number of cases’, and immediate commitment to a 15% increase for criminal defence solicitors ‘as a bare minimum’.
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