Labour responds to new statistics revealing victims of crime are facing a 43% spike in delays to justice

Responding to the release of new statistics showing that a fifth of cases in the Crown Courts have been outstanding for a year or more and the average age of an outstanding case increased by 43% on the previous year, David Lammy MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, said:

“The Conservatives are forcing victims of rape, domestic abuse and violent assault to wait months and years for justice if they get it at all.

“This is the direct result of the Government’s decade of court closures, combined with its incompetent response to the pandemic.

“Yesterday the Prime Minister apologised to rape victims. Now he must take urgent action to restore the justice system after his Party has decimated it.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• The Ministry of Justice’s Criminal court statistics quarterly, England and Wales, January to March 2021, published today, is available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/996061/ccsq_bulletin_jan_mar_2021.pdf

• The median age of an outstanding case in Q4 2020 was 147 days - this has increased by 43% on the previous year. Around a fifth (21%) of cases have been outstanding for a year or more, up from 7% in the previous year.

• Between 2010 and 2019, The Conservatives closed half of the courts in England and Wales