New figures* published today by the Ministry of Justice show a
record Crown Court backlog of more than 76,957 cases. There are
also 310,304 outstanding cases in the magistrates' court.
The Law Society of England and Wales is calling on the UK
government to invest in justice and tackle the criminal court
backlogs. Everyone should be able to access swift justice.
“Justice is a vital public service. Investing in our courts and
tackling backlogs will maintain the world-class reputation of our
justice system,” said Law Society president Richard Atkinson.
“Everyone of us should be able to access justice in a timely
fashion regardless of background. But right now, thousands of
victims, witnesses and defendants are denied this vital public
service due to the slow speed of justice. Sufficient funding of
our courts and those who work within them could free them from
the legal limbo caused by long waits.
“The Independent Review of the Criminal Courts and Independent
Sentencing Review must be backed with sufficient investment as
must the legal aid system which underpins them for the government
to meet its responsibility to support our criminal justice system
for the common good.
“A fair and functioning justice system is a key reason why
England and Wales is seen around the world as a jurisdiction of
choice for people to resolve their disputes. Assuring the quality
of our criminal justice system will help to ensure that the UK
maintains its reputation as a global legal centre, which is
crucial to the country's economy.”
Notes to editors
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* The Crown Court backlog reached 76,957 by the end of
March 2025, 11% higher than March 2024, (69,021 cases). Of
those, 18,093 Crown Court cases have been outstanding for a
year or more.
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The magistrates' court backlog increased by 13% on the
previous year from 273,498 to the end of March 2024.
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See the figures here – Criminal
court statistics quarterly: January to March 2025
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Read more about the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts
here
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Read more about the Independent Sentencing Review here
