The Court Service is bracing itself for an upsurge in its workload as a result of a raft of government reforms and initiatives, it emerged last week.


Issuing its 2004/5 business plan, the service said it anticipated a 7% rise in Crown Court trials to 89,424, as a result of the 'narrowing the justice gap' initiative, and a 'significant' rise in the criminal Court of Appeal's caseload.



This will come from reforms such as a wider range of offences for which the Attorney-General can appeal what he considers unduly lenient sentences and the Criminal Justice Act 2003, including abolition of the rule on double jeopardy.



On the civil side, the Court Service hopes that growing use of mediation will reduce the number of non-family claims, while it also aims to improve the time in which the family courts deal with public and private law Children Act cases, which are currently well below the target of 70% dealt with within 40 weeks.