About this episode
The episode discusses the crisis in the criminal courts in the UK, focusing on delays, funding, and potential reforms.
When the Labour government came to power in 2024, it faced a crisis in the criminal courts, with ever-longer delays and a growing backlog of cases. The Ministry of Justice's budget is now one third higher in real terms than in 2019, but according to the latest figures, crown court cases that are yet to be heard reached a record high of 78,329. In October, the Justice Secretary David Lammy promised extra funding to increase the number of days that English and Welsh courts will sit next year. But is throwing money at the problem enough? How can the courts service be improved, and should jury trials be limited to help clear the backlog? Also in the programme: Protests in support of the banned group Palestine Action could result in trials for as many as 2100 people - so how do courts deal with a sudden influx of cases? And are UK laws fair to football fans? Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan Editor: Tom Bigwood Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles Contributors: Claire Waxman, Victims Commissioner designate, Riel Karmy-Jones KC, Chair of the Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales, Dr Steven Cammiss, Associate Professor in Law at the University of Birmingham, Professor Geoff…
People in this episode
Host: Dr Joelle Grogan
Guests: Claire Waxman, Riel Karmy-Jones KC, Dr Steven Cammiss, Professor Geoff Pearson
Topics covered
- court delays
- criminal justice
- backlog of cases
- funding for courts
- jury trials
- legal system
- football fan laws
Keywords
- court delays
- criminal courts
- backlog
- funding
- jury trials
- legal reforms
- Palestine Action
- football fans
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Labour government, Ministry of Justice, Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales
Places: England, Wales, UK
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