Court system on 'brink of collapse', former senior judge warns

"That in turn has led to victims saying they are losing confidence in the system and walking away from the court process. The crisis has deep roots in cuts to spending on courts, judges and barristers. The impact of those decisions in the 2010s has been exacerbated by the pandemic, lawyers quitting criminal work over poor pay while the recruitment of extra police has led to more suspects being sent to court."

"Last year, in the first stage of the review, Sir Brian called for the right to a jury trial to be scaled back and many intermediate crimes to be dealt with by a judge alone. His second and final report has recommended 130 efficiency changes, from technical measures to allowing prison vans to use bus lanes to hit court appearance deadlines."

"The court system is "on the brink of collapse" as the backlogs for trials reach unprecedented levels, the head of a major review has said. Sir Brian Leveson, a senior retired judge, warned ministers, the police and others that there could not be a "pick and mix" response to solving the crisis."

Crown Court trial backlogs in England and Wales have reached record levels, with 79,619 cases waiting last September and projections toward 100,000 by next November. Some newly charged suspects are being told their cases may not be dealt with until 2030. The backlog reduction effort must be comprehensive because past cuts to courts, judges and barristers in the 2010s, the pandemic, poor pay prompting lawyers to quit criminal work, and increased police recruitment sending more suspects to court have all worsened the crisis. Recommendations include 130 efficiency changes and potential limits on jury trials for intermediate offences.

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