UK Court System Faces Record Backlog, Review Calls for Radical Reforms

Sir Brian Leveson highlights unsustainable delays in criminal cases and proposes intermediate courts and expanded magistrate powers to address the crisis.

The backlog of criminal cases in Crown Courts has reached 73,105 as of September, nearly double the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
Sir Brian Leveson, leading a government-commissioned review, describes the backlog as a 'crisis' requiring urgent and radical solutions.
Proposals under consideration include creating intermediate courts with judges and magistrates to handle mid-level cases and expanding magistrates' sentencing powers.
Delays are impacting victims, witnesses, and defendants, with some cases now listed as far out as 2027, raising concerns about justice and accountability.
The review, alongside a parallel sentencing review, could lead to the most significant changes to the UK's criminal justice system in decades if adopted by ministers.