There will be 110,000 Crown Court sitting days in the next financial year, 4,000 more than was initially allocated in the previous year.
Bar Council chair Barbara Mills KC said: ‘We welcome the record increase in Crown Court sitting days to the highest it has been in a decade.
‘This positive step is the first in a long list of measures needed to restore our criminal justice system. Rather than introducing new courts, by investing in more sitting days we can begin to grapple with the backlog and restore public trust and confidence.
‘Ultimately, if we are to reduce the delays and impact on victims, witnesses, and defendants, there should be no limit on the number of days courts can sit.’
Law Society president Richard Atkinson highlighted: ‘Sitting days are still not at the maximum the Lady Chief Justice has said is possible to achieve.
‘The funding increase for court maintenance is only a small fraction of the £1.3bn repairs backlog for courts and tribunals reported by the National Audit Office.’
The announcement coincides with the publication of a harrowing report by the Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, ‘Justice delayed—the impact of the Crown Court backlog on victims, victim services and the criminal justice system’.
The report details the ‘gruelling impact’ of delays on victims, 48% of whom have had their Crown Court trial date rescheduled. It found victims struggling to cope with the lengthy delays, with some unable to work, suffering health problems and even turning to self-harm or alcohol abuse to cope with the uncertainty.
The Public Accounts Committee also published a report this week criticising the government’s response to the backlog at the Crown Court, now at record levels.
