Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Court Backlog

Tuesday 2 February 2021 · 8 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • We have invested an extra quarter of a billion pounds this year for court recovery, including installing plexiglass screens in 450 courtrooms and enabling remote hearings through cloud video platform installation in 150 magistrates courts and 70 Crown courts.
  • Judges prioritise urgent cases, such as domestic violence protection orders, and over half of remanded custody Crown court cases had their first hearing in November and will have trials by July this year.
  • An extra 1,600 HMCTS staff are being hired, and additional Crown court sitting days and investment of 85 million to hire more prosecutors will be made next financial year.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Barry Sheerman Lab
Justice & Courts
Context

The question addresses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on court cases and seeks specific steps taken by the government to mitigate this issue.

Question

What steps he is taking to tackle the backlog of court cases as a result of the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from Chris Philp

We have invested an extra quarter of a billion pounds this year for court recovery. This includes installing plexiglass screens in 450 courtrooms and enabling remote hearings through cloud video platform installation in 150 magistrates courts and 70 Crown courts, delivering over 20,000 remote hearings last week.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline or number of cases resolved was not provided

How: We Are Not Resting, More Work To Do

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Q2 Craig Williams Con
Justice & Courts
Context

The question follows up on the investment in court recovery and seeks clarification on the prioritisation of urgent cases during the pandemic.

Question

I welcome the establishment of Nightingale courtrooms and the rapid increase in video technology usage. May I reinforce a point about prioritising urgent cases to protect public safety?

Answer from Chris Philp

Judges do prioritise urgent cases, such as domestic violence protection orders from the start of the pandemic. Over half of remanded custody Crown court cases had their first hearing in November and will have trials by July this year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps to ensure prioritisation were not detailed

How: Listing Is A Judicial Function

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Q3 Alex Davies-Jones Lab Pontypridd
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question addresses the high percentage of rapes reported to the police that do not result in legal proceedings and seeks concrete actions to improve this situation.

Question

With 99% of rapes reported to the police resulting in no legal proceedings, what steps is the Secretary of State taking to speed up the process?

Answer from Chris Philp

Roll-out of section 28 video-recorded evidence and changes in disclosure rules have been made. An additional £40 million was announced for victims, including those of rape.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline or number of cases to be addressed was not provided

How: A Great Deal More Needs To Be Done

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Q4 Peter Aldous Con
Policing & Resources Justice & Courts
Context

The question asks about additional staffing for courts in Suffolk and the feasibility of a Nightingale court to address case backlog.

Question

Given the funding received by Suffolk constabulary, will more court staff be provided and is there a possibility of a Nightingale court in Suffolk?

Answer from Chris Philp

An extra 1,600 HMCTS staff are being hired. Additional Crown court sitting days and investment of £85 million to hire more prosecutors will be made next financial year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific Nightingale court plans were not detailed

How: We Could Discuss After This Session

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Q5 Jane Hunt
Business Compliance
Context

The question concerns the inability of businesses to submit requests for winding-up orders due to current restrictions.

Question

What steps are being taken to ensure that businesses can request winding-up orders while covid restrictions are in place?

Answer from Chris Philp

Enforcing debts is foundational for commercial transactions. I need further details on the specific case and will correspond after today's session to see if assistance can be provided.

Not addressed: No steps mentioned for winding-up orders process

How: We Could Discuss After This Session, Need Particulars Of The Case

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Q6 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

A constituent reported her case of historical sexual abuse four years ago. The trial is listed for mid-2022 but with court delays, there's no certainty about when it will happen. She cannot access therapy due to potential impact on the conduct of the trial and is seriously unwell.

Question

My constituent reported her case of historical sexual abuse four years ago. The trial is listed for mid-2022 but with court delays, there's no certainty about when it will happen. She cannot access therapy due to potential impact on the conduct of the trial and is seriously unwell. What equality impact assessment has the Minister undertaken on the impact of court delays on victims of sexual abuse and domestic crime? Will he look to expedite these cases?

Answer from Chris Philp

I recognise the considerations that the hon. Lady raises. When judges make listing decisions, they carefully take into account the sort of considerations she rightly outlined. Many delays in bringing these cases predate coming to trial; they might be related to issues such as disclosure or investigation time. The rape review and work on disclosure rules aim to address many of those issues. Extra money is going into the CPS to help with this. We recognise that delivering speedy justice in this area is critical, but we also invest extra money in supporting victims.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics on equality impact assessment and concrete steps for expediting cases were not provided

How: Recognise The Issues, Hope Measures Will Help

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Q7 Barry Sheerman Lab
Justice & Courts
Context

Judges, retired judges, and senior barristers in Yorkshire and the north-east report serious problems with the justice system. The question challenges the government's use of covid as an excuse for pre-existing issues.

Question

From all evidence, there are serious problems in the justice system from judges, retired judges, and senior barristers. Is it not the case that the Government is using covid as a fig leaf for terminal crisis before, and we must have renewal of our justice system? When will we see the royal commission on criminal justice up and working?

Answer from Chris Philp

I do not recognise the hon. Gentleman's characterisation of the justice system prior to coronavirus. Waiting times in magistrates courts were about eight weeks, which is respectable. The outstanding case load in Crown court was 39,000 cases, low by historical standards and lower than in 2010. HMCTS budget was higher by £200 million than in 2010. More investment is being made this year and in the future. My right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor works on the royal commission on criminal justice; announcements are expected.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address the specific question about royal commission timeline or concrete steps for renewal

How: Deny Characterization, Cite Statistics

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Q8 Peter Kyle Lab Hove and Portslade
Justice & Courts
Context

A coroner's court revealed an 18-year-old victim of sexual assault was told she would not get her day in court for 19 months. She committed suicide after losing hope, six months before covid.

Question

It was revealed that an 18-year-old woman who reported a sexual assault case faced a delay of 19 months to get her day in court. The coroner linked this delay with her death by overdose. This happened six months before the pandemic. Is it not true that this Government broke our justice system, and will the Minister offer an apology?

Answer from Chris Philp

I pointed out that our justice system was in good shape before coronavirus, with magistrates court waiting times at about eight weeks and a low Crown court case load. We recognise the distress victims suffer and announced an additional £40 million to support them. The rape review aims to expedite cases, but this is not just a courts issue; it involves disclosure rules and investigation time. Extra police officers will help, as we prioritise protecting victims.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide an apology or concrete steps for addressing specific delays

How: Deny Systemic Issues, Cite Funding

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