The justice system in England and Wales is buckling under the weight of a record-breaking backlog of cases, with new government figures revealing a sharp rise in the number of people awaiting trial.
A System Under Strain: Record Backlogs Across the Board
Official data from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shows the situation has deteriorated significantly over the past year. By the end of September, the backlog in the Crown Court had reached 79,619 cases, a worrying increase of nine per cent from the 72,849 recorded twelve months earlier.
The crisis is not confined to the senior courts. The magistrates' courts, which handle less serious offences, are also overwhelmed. Their backlog has hit a new peak of 373,040 cases, marking a staggering 17 per cent rise compared to the previous year.
Lammy's Controversial Solution and Mounting Criticism
This system-wide logjam intensifies the challenge for Justice Secretary David Lammy, who has recently unveiled highly contentious plans to address the delays. His strategy centres on dramatically cutting the historic right to a jury trial.
Under the proposed measures, the number of jury trials would be halved. Approximately 2,500 trials per year would be heard by a judge sitting alone, while a further 5,000 cases annually would be diverted to magistrates.
However, the latest surge in the magistrates' court backlog raises serious questions about the logic of transferring more work to a part of the system that is already at breaking point.
Barristers Condemn "Gimmicks" and Demand Practical Action
The MoJ data reveals particularly sharp increases in serious case backlogs. Trials for sexual offences in the Crown Court have soared by 23 per cent, with robbery cases up by 13 per cent.
Riel Karmy-Jones KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, strongly criticised the government's approach. She accused ministers of "weaponizing" victims of serious sexual offences by suggesting that restricting jury trials would deliver faster justice.
"It won’t, and to say it will is simply not right," she stated, adding it was unfair to give victims "false hope."
Karmy-Jones argued that practical solutions are being ignored. "We don’t need dramatic gestures that pose as solutions. We don’t need short cuts. Or gimmicks. Or judge-only trials," she said.
Her alternative proposal is straightforward: "We need court rooms that function." She highlighted that available courtrooms are kept shut while the prison population reaches a breaking point, filled with thousands of unconvicted individuals awaiting trial.
The barrister concluded with a defence of the traditional jury system, calling for "ordinary people serving on juries, fulfilling their civic duty, and delivering justice." The figures present a stark picture of a justice system in crisis, with the debate now focused on whether the government's radical plan is a necessary remedy or a dangerous shortcut.
