The UK's justice system is facing a severe crisis, with significant backlogs in both criminal and family courts. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has highlighted that the backlog of sexual offence cases rose by 28% from 7,945 to 10,141 between September 2022 and December 2023, following the roll-out of section 28. This backlog has led to extended waiting times, with the average time from offence to case completion in the Crown court increasing from 486 days in late 2019 to 683 days by December 2023. Courts are now booking cases into 2026, with some serious sexual offences potentially being scheduled into 2027. Additionally, over 25,000 children are trapped in family court backlogs, exacerbating the crisis. CBA secretary Moody Barrister and other legal professionals, including Nick Emmerson, are calling for urgent reforms to address these issues and ensure timely justice for victims, witnesses, and defendants.
📈 👩👩👦 "We cannot allow children to become collateral damage to a justice system in crisis.” President Nick Emmerson tells @lawsocgazette that the family courts are in a dire state, as more then 25,000 children are trapped in #Backlogs. https://t.co/4KrSEou6XR https://t.co/XyMrGsdQI7
“Victims, witnesses and defendants are all waiting longer. The average time taken from offence to case completion in the Crown court has increased from 486 days in the last quarter of 2019 to 683 days for the three months to December 2023.” @legalhackette via @lawsocgazette in… https://t.co/CdsLkqb8yB
“CBA analysis of the ministry’s data suggests that in the 15 months since the roll-out of section 28 – from 30 September 2022 to 31 December 2023 – the backlog of sexual offence cases rose by 28% from 7,945 to 10,141. Ths accounted for nearly half of the cases added to the… https://t.co/aR0MQ88Hd3
“In autumn 2023, @PriorKc continues, courts began booking these cases into 2026 and some are now scheduled for autumn 2026. ‘Within a few months courts are likely to be booking rape and other serious sexual offences into 2027,’ she predicts.” @legalhackette in @lawsocgazette… https://t.co/aR0MQ88Hd3
Máiría Cahill: Violent offenders must be rehabilitated if we are to end this scourge of violence against women https://t.co/36ar0rxZd1
Local opinion: Domestic violence victims are being let down by the system designed to protect them https://t.co/YS59sUIrXf
1105am @TimesRadio with Adam Bolton and Kate McCann our CBA secretary @moodybarrister of @LambBuilding on the impact of an ongoing prisons crisis and our ability to prosecute and defend trials in a timely way and deal with sentencing hearings What needs to change so complainants,… https://t.co/NLiS2fIvvL