Court Cases Backlog 2020-12-08
2020-12-08
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The backlog of court cases has accumulated as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of court cases that has accumulated as a result of the covid-19 outbreak?
Justice systems around the world have been profoundly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but I am pleased that the court system in England and Wales has been among the world's leaders in recovering from that pandemic. Magistrates court disposals are now exceeding receipts, and 260 Crown Court jury rooms are operating—more than we had before the pandemic. Substantial additional resources, both people and money, have been put into the system, to ensure that our recovery continues to be world-leading.
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Q2
Partial Answer
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The Lowry theatre in Salford is being used as a nightingale court, but only 16 courts are up and running by the end of November.
What number does the Minister think we now need to clear the backlog?
As the hon. Gentleman says, 16 nightingale courts are up and running, and the Ministry of Justice has secured a total of just over £110 million in additional funding from the Treasury, to support not just those nightingale courts, but many others as well. We intend to open further nightingale courts in the future.
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specific number needed
Not Providing A Specific Number
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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The backlog for individual cases in employment tribunals has already passed the post-2008 financial crisis record, with 37,000 workers in the queue.
When will the Minister take action at the scale necessary to address this issue?
As I said, we are putting a great deal of extra resources into the justice system, including employment tribunals, to ensure that we recover from coronavirus. There is £110 million in total extra this year, and a further 1,600 staff of Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service across the entire system.
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specific actions needed
Not Providing Specific Actions
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Q4
Direct Answer
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The Department has focused on domestic violence and sexual assault cases, including the Domestic Abuse Bill.
Will Ministers focus particularly on bringing those types of cases to court quickly?
My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to that important area, and it is certainly a matter that Ministers are mindful of and focused on. The judiciary decided early on in the pandemic to prioritise domestic violence protection orders.
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Q5
Direct Answer
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The number of effective trials was down from 19,000 in 2010 to 12,000 last year and expenditure on recorder sitting days has halved since 2018.
When will victims, witnesses and families get the court system they desperately need?
We are fully committed to making sure that the justice system recovers from the pandemic. That is why we have more Crown court jury trial rooms open now than we did before the pandemic, we are consulting on having extended operating hours to allow more cases to be heard, we have put £110 million of extra money in, and recruited 1,600 extra staff.
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