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Sitting day allocations for Courts and Tribunals
24 February 2026
Type
Written Ministerial Statement
Department
Ministry of Justice
At a Glance
Issue Summary
The statement addresses the allocation of sitting days and funding for HMCTS for the financial years 2026/27 through 2028/29.
Action Requested
The Ministry of Justice will provide £2,785m in total funding for 2026/27, removing any financial constraints on Crown Court sitting days and increasing magistrates' court sitting days over the next three years. This settlement aims to address caseload backlogs and enable long-term planning.
Key Facts
- £2,785m of total funding for 2026/27.
- £2,498m fiscal resource and £287m in fiscal capital funding for 2026/27.
- Crown Court backlog exceeds 79,000 cases.
- Uncapping the sitting day allocation for the Crown Court for 2026/27.
- Funding an allocation of 125,800 sitting days for magistrates’ courts in 2026/27, increasing to a target of 131,000 days by 2028/29.
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