The government has announced investment in the criminal courts that will allow courts to run at maximum capacity next year. The announcement comes after the Bar Council called for the cap on sitting days to be lifted to bear down on the backlog.
Bar Council Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC said: “It is welcomed that the government is going to open all courts to allow them to sit to their maximum capacity. We have long called for the limit on the number of days that courts can sit to be removed and are encouraged that this is being implemented.
“Allowing courts to sit at their maximum capacity means judges and court staff can better plan for the best use of court time.
“The investment announced is a step in the right direction. However, the system has been crippled by years of underfunding. There is now a backlog of basic infrastructure repairs required by courts across the country, as well as a backlog of waiting cases. The two are linked.
“We fully support and share the government’s aim of bringing down the 80,000 backlog in the criminal courts and tackling the chronic delays. However, we continue to oppose the government’s proposed restriction of jury trials. It will drain precious resources away from the needed reforms that can be implemented now and place additional pressure on a stretched and stressed workforce.
“Restricting the right to jury trial would erode a deeply entrenched constitutional principle for negligible gain and with substantial risks. It is not too late for the government to show that they are listening. The government must now focus on efficiency, removal of cases from the backlog that no longer should be prosecuted and investment in the day-to-day management of the court system.”
The Bar Council has previously called for the cap on sitting days to be lifted, for example in September 2024 when the cap on sitting days reduced capacity in the Crown Courts by 2%.