Key Facts

• New clause proposes increasing the maximum sentence reduction from one-third to two-fifths.
• It removes restrictions on early-stage guilty pleas for highest reductions.
• Allows defendants to receive reductions before a retrial.
• New clause 6 establishes fast-track RASSO court capacity.
• New clause 23 requires a report on the Act's effect on rape and serious sexual offences within twelve months.
• New clause 25 sets up specialist sexual offences courts at each Crown Court location in England and Wales.
• The Labour manifesto committed to establishing specialist courts for rape and sexual offences.
• New clause 2 would require the Lord Chancellor to build upon proven models at Liverpool and Preston Crown Courts.
• Current Government reforms will not take effect until 2028 or 2029.
• Government's Bill proposes removing jury trials for around half of all cases.
• A commitment to introduce specialist courts was included in the Government’s manifesto.
• Opposition new clause 25 aims to return to the original vision of establishing specialist courts for rape and serious sexual offences.
• The Institute for Government suggests judge-only trials might save only 1.5% to 2.5%.
• A study found that delays in rape cases are mostly due to investigation and charging stages, not court proceedings.
• Over 30 groups concerned with violence against women and girls argue against removing juries.
• The Deputy Prime Minister considers juries a success for delivering fair results.
• New clause 6 would fast-track rape and serious sexual offence cases.
• The Government's blitz courts will prioritise assaults on emergency workers in London and the south-east initially.
• As of September last year, 16% of cases in the backlog were sexual offences.
• The average duration for rape cases at Crown Court is 429 days compared to an average of 259 days for all offences.
• The Labour party manifesto pledged specialist courts for rape and domestic abuse.
• New clause 2 proposes trauma-informed proceedings, fixed trial dates, and prioritised listings.
• There is a backlog of over 80,000 cases across the criminal justice system.
• Full extent of the criminal justice crisis was not apparent when the government came to power.
• Trauma-informed training is being rolled out for all court staff, not just judges.
• £6 million investment in independent legal advisers for victims of rape.
• Over £500 million committed to victim support.
• Over 1,000 trials were ineffective last year due to missing elements.
• The Government is investing in criminal legal aid and match funding for pupillages.
• An AI-driven listing tool is being piloted in Preston and Isleworth with positive results.
• Victims of rape face an average wait of over 400 days for trial.
• Trauma-informed training will be available to all court staff from spring.
• New clause 4 requires an independent report on the feasibility of two trials per day.
• The Lord Chancellor must publish a response within three months after laying the report.
• New clause 5 mandates setting annual targets for reducing the Crown Court backlog in England and Wales.
• Clause 22 requires the Lord Chancellor to lay a strategy before Parliament within 12 months of the Act's passing.
• The Secretary of State must report on progress made against the strategy at intervals no more than 24 months apart.
• Clause 32 mandates an independent review into racial disproportionality arising from changes in magistrates' courts and trial-allocation provisions before Clauses 1 to 7 can be implemented.
• Amendments to clause 26 would delay the commencement of sections 1 to 7 of the Bill until certain conditions are met.
• The conditions include independent reviews, increased Crown Court capacity, funding for sitting days, and consultations on extended hours.
• Section (3A) requires the Lord Chancellor to publish a response to the Independent Review of Criminal Courts before clauses can be implemented.
• New clause 3 proposes doubling court sitting time by scheduling two trials per day.
• Trials in select courtrooms would run from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm.
• During the coronavirus pilot, two-trial days achieved 3.5 trials per week compared with fewer than 0.9 under standard hours.
• Court hearing time has dropped to an average of 3.2 hours on paper from 10 am to 4.30 pm.
• Amendment 59 seeks to increase Crown court sitting days to 130,000.
• Productivity in the Crown court has fallen by approximately 20% over less than a decade.
• There were 713 ineffective trials in 2023 due to prisoner transport delays.
• Blizzards courts in Preston and Liverpool have reduced backlogs significantly.
• The NHS uses weekend hitlists as part of its elective recovery strategy.
• The system currently has significantly less access to jury rights than before.
• There is a proposed path towards operational excellence and better resourcing as an alternative to reducing jury rights.
• Proposed changes could result in a 1.5% efficiency gain according to Government calculations.
• Government funding for unlimited Crown court sitting days in the new financial year.
• Target of 130,000 sitting days as mentioned in Sir Brian Leveson’s review.
• Current prediction of achieving 117,000 to 118,000 sitting days next year.
• Pilots showed limited gains from extending hours alone.