Administration of Justice: Finance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to take steps to increase funding for the judicial system.
Answered by Sarah Sackman
This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. Since taking office, the Lord Chancellor has funded up to 2,500 additional Crown Court sitting days this financial year, taking the total number of days sat to 108,500, the highest level since the financial year of 2015/16.
On Wednesday 5 March, the Lord Chancellor announced for the financial year 2025/26, the Crown Court will be funded to sit up to 110,000 sitting days. It is also both the highest sitting day allocation made since HMCTS was created and the biggest fiscal resource settlement ever made for the Crown court. It is, in all respects, unprecedented and reflects how much importance this Government places on tackling the backlog.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →