Overview

• Official data show 78,329 outstanding cases at the end of June, up 2% since March and 10% year on year.
• A record 19,164 cases have been open for at least a year, deepening delays for victims and defendants.
• Violence accounts for 31% of the caseload, sexual offences 17% and drugs 14%, with rape cases at a record 4,086.
• Ministers will respond this autumn to Leveson’s review proposing judge-led trials and fewer juries, as Justice Secretary David Lammy says reform is essential beyond funding.
• Magistrates’ courts also face a record 361,027-case backlog, with building failures underscored by a London court closure over a water outage.