Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Court Backlogs

Tuesday 16 September 2025 · 6 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 6 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions addressed court backlogs and the lack of legal advisers.
  • The Crown courtrooms are sitting empty up to 75% of the time due to booking trials far into the future.
  • Proposals to share resources between courts, like Maidstone and Woolwich, are under consideration for spreading backlog relief.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Josh Newbury Lab Cannock Chase
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP visited a local magistrates court and was told that legal advisers are leaving due to better pay elsewhere, leading to reduced sitting times.

Question

A major barrier to increasing the number of sitting days in both magistrates and Crown courts is the lack of legal advisers. Many legal advisers are leaving because the pay is often better elsewhere. Will my right hon. Friend outline what steps the Ministry is taking to increase the number of legal advisers in our courts?

Answer from The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy)

My hon. Friend will be pleased that we are recruiting more legal advisers and increasing capacity in the system. We support our magistrates to do their very important work as they are the bedrock of the system.

Partly answered

How: Supports Without Specifics

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Q2 Roz Savage Lib Dem South Cotswolds
Justice & Courts
Context

Crown courtrooms are sitting empty for up to 75% of the time, and judges are booking trials well into 2028. This is causing a terrible impact on complainants and justice.

Question

Crown courtrooms are sitting empty for up to 75% of the time. Judges used to be booking in trials three to six months into the future, but now they are booking well into 2027 or even into 2028, which is to save the cost of bringing in a recorder at £830 a day. However, these cases still need to be tried at some point, so that is not actually saving costs, just deferring them. In the meantime, there is a terrible impact on complainants and justice itself. What will the Secretary of State do to clear this backlog and ensure that cases come to trial?

Answer from The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy)

The hon. Lady is completely right. Victims must see justice being done in real time. That is why we asked Brian Leveson to do the second part of his review, on efficiencies, which goes to the heart of her question.

Partly answered

How: Refers To Ongoing Reviews

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Q3 Freddie van Mierlo Lib Dem Henley and Thame
Justice & Courts
Context

Crown courtrooms are sitting empty for up to 75% of the time, leading to significant delays in bringing cases to trial.

Question

Will he comment on that, and on when the second part of the Leveson report will come into effect so that we know when action will be taken on the greater complexity that is yet to be evaluated?

Answer from The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy)

The right hon. Gentleman is right that we have to build the system’s capacity to use courtrooms better. I can tell him that Sir Brian Leveson—I was very grateful to Sir Brian for coming to see me, as Foreign Secretary, while he was completing his review because of my experience in the criminal justice system—is completing his review by the end of the year.

Partly answered

How: Refers To Ongoing Reviews

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Q4 Tristan Osborne Lab Chatham and Aylesford
Justice & Courts
Context

An initiative in Kent involves sharing resources between Maidstone Crown court and Woolwich Crown court to spread cases into areas with less backlog.

Question

In west Kent, an initiative to share the resource of Maidstone Crown court with Woolwich Crown court is spreading cases into areas where there is not such a backlog. Can the Government indicate whether that is being openly considered in other parts of the country so that we can spread the backlog across different areas?

Answer from The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy)

It is absolutely the case that where courts are coming together and being proactive, we are seeing progress. I look forward to looking more closely at the example of Maidstone and Woolwich. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that that is the way forward.

Partly answered

How: Acknowledgment Without Specifics

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Q5 Peter Lamb Lab Coventry South
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP has met constituents waiting for years before the general election to access justice due to serious offences.

Question

I have met constituents who have been victims of some of the most serious offences and were waiting for years before the general election to have access to justice. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how I can ensure that my constituents have timely access to justice?

Answer from Lammy (Justice Secretary)

The right hon. Friend is right. We have to ensure that the system works for victims. Under the previous Government, half of all magistrates courts closed, and in December 2023, the Crown court backlog had increased by 77%. We are dealing with that—we have to do so as swiftly as possible. I will of course ensure that he meets with the appropriate Minister.

Partly answered
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Q6 Mark Pritchard Con The Wrekin
Justice & Courts
Context

Shropshire courts, particularly Shrewsbury Crown court, have seen extraordinary lengths of time victims wait for serious sexual assault cases.

Question

Is the Justice Secretary aware of the extraordinary length of time that victims of serious sexual assault and crimes must wait in the Shropshire courts, particularly Shrewsbury Crown court? It is double the 363 days that we have just heard from the Lib Dem Benches. What will the Justice Secretary do to help those victims, as well as the defendants who may, on occasion, be innocent?

Answer from Lammy (Justice Secretary)

Under the previous Government, we saw devastating cuts to the police, with a reduction of 20,000 officers; no building of prisons at all—only 500 places; and the decimation of the Probation Service. We have had to get on with all that. Yes, we have made some strides in 14 months, but the devastation was big, and it will take a bit longer.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific actions for Shropshire courts

How: Referring To Previous Government

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