The government today doubled down on its plan to curb jury trials despite new figures showing a small fall in the Crown court backlog.
According to the quarterly figures, 80,061 cases were open at the end of March - 37 fewer than the previous quarter. The open caseload in the magistrates court increased to 370,222, a 2% increase on the previous quarter, with receipts remaining above disposals.
The number of Crown court cases open for a year or more reached 22,124, an all-time high and 4,305 higher than the same time last year. The median age of open Crown court cases also increased to 196 days.
Sarah Sackman MP, minister for courts and legal services, who has been leading the government’s Courts and Tribunals Bill and its plans to curb jury trials, acknowledged the positive news but said ‘at this pace, it could take nearly 300 years to clear the backlog’.
‘As the latest figures indicate, record investment, greater efficiency, and increased sitting days are starting to stabilise the backlog but they cannot reverse it alone. Only structural reform can turn the tide to deliver faster justice for victims.
‘We’re moving in the right direction, but the scale of the challenge is stark. In the most serious cases, victims are waiting longer than ever and at this pace, it could take nearly 300 years to clear the backlog. It’s encouraging to see our work beginning to pay off but there’s no room for complacency. We know there is a long road to go.’
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Riel Karmy-Jones KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association said the figures showed ‘MPs have been misled by assumptions dressed up as evidence’. She added: ‘It’s high time the government ditched its ill-conceived attack on the right to trial by jury. The justification for these plans has never been there, these figures show MPs have been misled by assumptions dressed up as evidence.
‘What today’s figures show is that, thanks to the hard work of our judges, criminal barristers, HMCTS staff, the CPS and defence solicitors, the measures we have pushed forward are and already taken in our courts are starting to turn the tide. What’s needed now is investment, not rhetoric based on assumption.’
Law Society vice president Brett Dixon said the figures painted a 'stark figure of our justice system'. He added: ‘While some changes are beginning to help, such as increased sitting days, the government still needs to take urgent cross-system action to tackle backlogs and delays. Despite the slight drop in Crown court cases, rising pressure in the magistrates’ courts shows that the system remains under serious strain.
‘It’s time to scrap headline grabbing plans to reduce jury trials and focus on the investments and reforms which will really make a difference.'
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