Courts: Standards

As of March 2026, the Crown Court backlog stood at over 80,000 cases, with 22,000 open for over a year. Behind each of those cases is someone awaiting justice – victims putting their lives on hold and witnesses waiting to share their testimony. Justice delayed is justice denied and the status quo is unacceptable.

That is why we asked Sir Brian Leveson to conduct an independent review of the criminal justice system and make recommendations for the modernisation of the system and ways to tackle the Crown Court backlog. Sir Brian and his panel concluded that reform is essential, alongside financial investment and a programme of efficiencies. This Government is pulling all levers at our disposal to tackle the crisis in our courts and futureproof the system – modernising court processes, making proportionate structural changes to how and where some criminal cases are heard, and investing at record levels in court capacity, technology, and the legal profession.

Alongside this, the Government is committed to ensuring victims and witnesses have the information and support they need to navigate court proceedings. We have recently consulted on a new Victims’ Code, and we are investing record £550 million in victim and witness support services over the next three years. We are committed to creating a more sustainable justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence.