Over 6,500 Crown Court Cases Caught in 2-Year Backlog

The number of victims waiting over two years for their court cases has more than doubled since 2021, according to new figures from the Ministry of Justice. The data shows that there are now over 6,500 crown court cases stuck in a 24-month backlog, compared to 2,769 cases with two-year waits in 2021. This means that one in ten of the total backlog of outstanding crown court cases now have waits of two years or more.

Lib Dems Call Out "Agonising Waits" and Demand Action

The Liberal Democrats have spoken out against the long delays in court cases, stating that victims are facing "agonising waits" while criminals risk being let off the hook as trials collapse. The party is calling on ministers to commit to halving the time from offence to sentencing and to open additional temporary "Nightingale courtrooms" to increase capacity. The Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, described the situation as a "national scandal" and criticized the Conservatives for losing control of law and order in the country.