Crown court backlog of cases passes 75,000 for first time

The crown court backlog in England and Wales has risen to a new record high, passing 75,000 cases for the first time.

Data published on Thursday shows the open caseload stood at 76,957 at the end of March this year, up from 74,592 at the end of December 2024.

This is also up 11% from 69,021 a year earlier, according to Ministry of Justice figures.

Some 18,093 cases had been open for at least a year at the end of March, up from 16,184 a year earlier and the highest since current data began.

Open caseload refers to the number of outstanding cases.

Responding to the figures, courts and legal services minister Sarah Sackman KC said the current rate of increase could see the backlog hit 100,000 before 2028.

This is earlier than the minister’s previous warning that it could hit the milestone by the end of 2029.

‘Breaking point’

Ms Sackman said: “Despite the hard work of people across the criminal justice system the situation in our crown court is reaching breaking point.

“We inherited a courts crisis with an ever-growing backlog which, at its current rate of increase, will hit 100,000 before 2028.

“It is simply unacceptable that any victim has to wait years to see justice done and it is clear the status quo is not working.

“Only radical reform can deliver swifter justice for victims and that is why we asked Sir Brian Leveson to make recommendations for once-in-a-generation change, to be published in the coming weeks.”

Violence

The data also shows violence against the person, sexual and drug offences had the highest number of open cases, at 23,803, 12,532 and 10,775 respectively at the end of March.

The biggest increases in the open caseload were also for violence against the person, up 19% from 19,959 a year earlier, and sexual offences, up 18% from 10,611 in the same period.

The Leveson review is expected to give recommendations on how to overhaul the court system.

The Government has already agreed to implement a raft of reforms following an independent sentencing review by former justice secretary David Gauke to tackle jail overcrowding.

But Mary Prior KC, chairwoman of the Criminal Bar Association, said ministers must open up closed crown court rooms to allow delayed cases to be heard, adding: “Whatever the radical reforms suggested in ongoing reviews, implementation will take at least another year.”

She said: “The traumatised people in the long queue for justice may well have walked away by then, unheard and unseen.

“Victims of serious crimes want their cases dealt with in months, not years.

“People falsely accused of crimes want the same. Both want the nightmare to end.”

In March, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a record level of sitting days for crown court judges to tackle delays but admitted the “sad reality” is the backlog of cases will “still go up”.

The Lord Chancellor said judges will sit collectively for 110,000 days in the next financial year – 4,000 more than allocated for the previous period.

Responding to the figures, the Law Society of England and Wales president Richard Atkinson said: “Sufficient funding of our courts and those who work within them could free them from the legal limbo caused by long waits.”

Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove also urged for the Ministry of Justice to act quickly following the spending review to make sure victims are not left behind.

She added: “Victims and the services that support them bear the burden: underfunded, overstretched, and expected to do more with less – all while facing rising demand and threats to future funding.

“Victims should not have to shoulder the burden of a growing backlog alone.”