Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Court Backlog

Thursday 4 September 2025 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Solicitor General acknowledges the backlog in Crown court cases, citing delays due to closure of over 260 court buildings by the previous Government.
  • Dani, a victim of grooming and sexual abuse in Woking, faces a wait of more than six years for her case to be heard.
  • The CPS is exploring options for expanding the role of non-legal resources to support the court system and is setting up surge teams to address the backlog.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Will Forster Lib Dem Woking
Justice & Courts
Context

There is a significant backlog of court cases inherited by the government, impacting victims like Dani who has been waiting over six years for justice due to grooming and sexual abuse.

Question

The Solicitor General confirms the horrendous backlog in the Crown court. In one case in my constituency, one victim, Dani, will have to wait more than six years to get justice. Dani is just 21 and has been a victim of grooming and sexual abuse. Does the Solicitor General agree that for Dani and many others, justice delayed is justice denied? What further urgent steps will the Government take to tackle the backlog?

Answer from The Solicitor General

I am extremely sorry to hear about Dani’s case. The previous Government closed over 260 court buildings, and the human cost of the delays as a result of the backlog is really considerable. Victims are waiting years for justice, and attrition in rape cases in particular has more than doubled in the last five years. As I said, on taking office we took immediate action, and not only in relation to sitting days. We have also committed to investing up to £92 million more a year in criminal legal aid, and we are taking action to ensure that there are more specialist counsel available.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Dani's case specifically was not addressed with specific actions or timelines for resolution

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Q2 Andy Slaughter Lab Hammersmith and Chiswick
Justice & Courts
Context

The Government is addressing the backlog by increasing sitting days and implementing Brian Leveson’s proposals, but last year 446 Crown court trials were ineffective due to prosecutor absence.

Question

Last year, 446 Crown court trials were ineffective because the prosecutor failed to attend. Given that the Government are getting to grips with the backlog they inherited by increasing sitting days and through Brian Leveson’s proposals, is the Solicitor General concerned that the CPS also needs to step up to the plate? What is she doing to ensure that that happens?

Answer from The Solicitor General

The CPS is indeed stepping up to the plate to play its role in reducing the backlog. In line with the Government’s manifesto commitment, the CPS is exploring options for expanding the role of non-legal resources to support the system. It has also set up the surge team that I referred to. I can also confirm that the CPS is working with the judiciary, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and other criminal justice system stakeholders on a range of local initiatives, including a trial blitz, case resolution courts and weekly listing meetings.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address the specific issue of ineffective trials due to prosecutor absence directly with concrete steps or timelines for improvement

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