A London crown court today offered a case a trial date of October 2029, the Criminal Bar Association has revealed, after latest figures released by the government show the Crown court backlog once again breaking its own record.

The Ministry of Justice today reported that, between April and March this year, the number of outstanding cases climbed to a record 78,329 - up from 76,957 at the start of the year.

Justice secretary David Lammy said: ‘We inherited a justice system that has let down victims time and time again, and this government is determined to right that wrong. Today’s statistics show the Crown court backlog has hit a new record high and it lays bare the unacceptable wait victims face.’

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Lammy said the Labour government has invested a record amount into the courts to deliver swifter justice for victims. ‘However, money alone cannot turn the tide on the rising backlog, which is why we asked Sir Brian Leveson to propose bold and ambitious reform, to put our justice system back on sustainable ground.’

Leveson has recommended a 'radical' package of measures that would result in fewer jury trials. Further recommendations to improve efficiency are due shortly.

CBA chair Riel Karmy-Jones KC urged the government to fix the court infrastructure, focus on efficiency measures that can improve productivity, and reopen courtrooms shut for more than year ‘to claw back wasted time’.

Law Society president Richard Atkinson said the state of the court infrastructure was contributing to delays. Chancery Lane today published a report that 'lays bare the shambolic state of the court buildings - including asbestos, mould, inadequate air conditioning, dilapidated toilets, rotting seagulls and cells regularly flooding with excrement'.