Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Court Backlogs

Tuesday 16 December 2025 · 4 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 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Debbie Abrahams highlighted cases of juvenile child sexual abuse in her constituency, emphasizing the harm caused by court delays.
  • Warinder Juss raised concerns about the 80,000 cases waiting to be heard in the Crown court, praising government efforts to modernize the justice system while ensuring jury trials remain intact.
  • Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst inquired about the number of unusable Crown court rooms due to disrepair, citing it as a factor in the court backlog.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Debbie Abrahams Lab Oldham East and Saddleworth
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

Cases involving juvenile sexual abuse have been adjourned multiple times, causing significant harm to victims. The question addresses urgent steps needed for these cases.

Question

The Minister will recall that last week I mentioned two cases in my constituency involving juveniles and child sexual abuse. Those cases of alleged sexual abuse have been adjourned a number of times and, as I explained to her, the damage done to the lives of those children cannot be underestimated. I appreciate that reforms are under way, but what urgent steps can be taken now to ensure that those children have the justice that they deserve and can continue with their lives?

Answer from The Minister for Courts and Legal Services (Sarah Sackman)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this shocking case. I am aware of it and I will be writing to her on the particulars of it. It graphically demonstrates precisely why we need reform of our criminal courts. As the Deputy Prime Minister has just explained, that will take three things: investment in sitting days and criminal legal aid, which we are currently seeing; systemic reform; and modernisation. That third component is about how we can improve efficiencies in the here and now, through better adoption of technology and improving the smoother running of our courts, which will help the victims in the case that she outlines.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific steps for urgent cases were not detailed; instead, broad reforms are mentioned.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Warinder Juss Lab Wolverhampton West
Justice & Courts
Context

80,000 cases are currently waiting to be heard in the Crown court. The question addresses the impact of removing jury trials from certain either-way offences.

Question

Justice delayed is justice denied is the harsh reality for the nearly 80,000 cases that are currently waiting to be heard in the Crown court. I am pleased that the Government are taking action to modernise our justice system and to be reassured that the sanctity of jury trials will be preserved. Considering that only 3% of criminal cases are currently tried by a jury, what assessment has the Minister made on the impact that removing jury trials from certain either-way offences will have on significantly reducing the present unacceptable court backlogs?

Answer from The Minister for Courts and Legal Services (Sarah Sackman)

My hon. Friend raises a number of incredibly important points. Behind each and every one of those 80,000 cases in the backlog is a victim, as well as someone who is accused who may be trying to clear their name. As the backlog heads in the wrong direction, with agonising delays for all participants, we will not sit idly by. That is why we have adopted the recommendations of the independent review of criminal courts. It makes the important observation that 90% of cases in this country are currently dealt with robustly, properly and in a timely fashion without a jury in our magistrates courts. The whole package of reforms that we are bringing forward, which is not a pick-and-mix, is designed to deliver swifter justice for victims.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific assessment on the impact was not provided; instead, general reform plans were discussed.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Neil Shastri-Hurst Con Solihull West and Shirley
Justice & Courts
Context

The state of disrepair of court buildings is a factor contributing to the backlog. The question seeks information on unusable Crown court rooms.

Question

One of the contributing factors to the court backlog is the state of disrepair of our court infrastructure. Will the Minister set out how many of the more than 500 Crown court rooms are currently unusable because of their state of disrepair?

Answer from The Minister for Courts and Legal Services (Sarah Sackman)

The hon. Gentleman is right that the crumbling and decaying state of our court estate has become a metaphor for the justice system that we inherited from the previous Government. It is why we are opening new courts in Blackpool and putting shovels in the ground in inner London, and why we have increased the court estate budget by £28 million, so that we can improve maintenance and keep as many court rooms running as possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The exact number of unusable Crown court rooms was not provided; instead, general actions were mentioned.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q4 Vikki Slade Lib Dem Mid Dorset and North Poole
Justice & Courts
Context

Magistrates are now dealing with cases that could lead to sentences of up to two years, leading to a backlog of 361,000 cases. The question addresses the emotional impact on magistrates and their ability to handle these cases.

Question

When this Government came into office in July 2024, magistrates were dealing with cases that had a potential sentence of up to six months, but that has now gone up to 12 months and by next year it could be two years. There is already a backlog of 361,000 cases in the magistrates courts. In my meeting with the Law Society today, representatives expressed deep concerns about whether magistrates would be able to take on longer, more emotionally draining cases, and that some magistrates may decide that they are not comfortable about depriving people of their liberty for that long. What assessment has been done of the ability of magistrates to cope emotionally, and of the magistrates courts to cope with those increases?

Answer from The Minister for Courts and Legal Services (Sarah Sackman)

I think the hon. Lady is referring to the sentencing powers and the proposal to increase them, rather than the wait time. The fact is that our magistrates court is an efficient jurisdiction, dealing with 1.3 million cases a year. The Magistrates Association and the Magistrates’ Leadership Executive have endorsed the Government’s plans, which are a vote of confidence in our magistrates’ ability to deal with the caseload, and cases of this nature, swiftly, robustly and fairly, but she is right that our magistrates deserve support in dealing with emotionally charged matters. We will ensure that that support and training is provided.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific emotional impact assessment was not detailed; instead, general support plans were mentioned.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email