Judges will sit for a total of 110,000 days
The UK government has added 4,000 sitting days to the initial allocation for Crown court judges to address court backlog, reported the Law Society Gazette.
In total, judges will sit for 110,000 days, which the Gazette described as a “record” high. The government also said that the sitting days for the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal would hit near-maximum capacity.
“This government inherited a record and rising courts backlog, with justice delayed and denied for far too many victims. Bearing down on that backlog is an essential element of our Plan for Change, bringing offenders to justice to keep our streets safe. Funding a record number of sitting days is a critical first step,” Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said in a statement published by the Gazette.
The government added that it would increase court maintenance and building investment from £120 million this year to £148.5 million this year; the funds will finance court and tribunal estate repairs like security improvements, leaky roofs and broken lifts, and concrete remedial works at the Harrow Crown Court, which was closed in August 2023.
The government will fund a 30-hearing room tribunal centre in London, 18 hearing rooms at the City of London courts, and a Reading county and family court.
“The crumbling state of the courtrooms we inherited illustrate why public confidence in our justice system has ebbed away. That is why we’re boosting funding for vital repair work so our courts are, once again, fit for purpose, safe and welcoming places. This money will also help ensure we maintain and increase court capacity so more trials and tribunals can take place,” said Sarah Sackman, minister for courts and legal services.
Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, welcomed the announcement as “steps in the right direction.”
“But sitting days are still not at the maximum the lady chief justice has said is possible to achieve. While the funding increase for court maintenance is only a small fraction of the £1.3bn repairs backlog for courts and tribunals reported by the National Audit Office. Only sustained investment – including in courts, legal aid, prisons and probation – will ensure we have the justice system we all deserve,” Atkinson said in a statement published by the Gazette.
