UK to Extend Court Hours to Reduce Rape Case Backlog

British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab walks outside Downing Street, in London, Britain, March 23, 2022. Peter Cziborra/Reuters

Britain’s courts have been given carte blanche to open as long as necessary in order to clear a backlog of trials, including rape cases, which has meant that in some cases victims have had to wait five years for justice.

Earlier this month the Home Affairs Committee published a report which showed the average number of days between a rape complaint being made to conviction rose from 2,393 days in 2016 to 2,767 days in 2021 (data to September).

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has agreed there would be no limit on the number of days or hours that crown courts could sit in the 2022–2023 financial year.

“Getting the courts backlog down is a key priority for this government so that we can ensure victims get the swift access to justice they deserve,“ Raab said. “Alongside the extension of Nightingale courts, digital hearings, and investing significantly in criminal legal aid, we are removing the limit on sitting days for a second year to boost capacity and help drive down the Crown court backlog of cases.”

Last year court capacity rose by 20 percent after the Ministry of Justice made a similar move but the backlog has risen again.

The Epoch Times requested comment from the Ministry of Justice but hasn’t received a reply by the time of publishing.

The government wanted crown courts, including the Nightingale Courts, to sit on weekends or in the evenings, but there has been resistance from the legal profession.

Last month the Public Accounts Committee said the Ministry of Justice’s ambition to cut the backlog “by 8,000 by March 2025”  was a “meagre ambition.”

The chair of the committee, Dame Meg Hillier MP, said: “The crown court backlog has doubled since March 2019, to 60,000 of the most serious criminal cases waiting to be heard. We acknowledge the difficulties created by the pandemic but the figures show that ... these problems were evident before COVID hit.”

Earlier this month 2,500 barristers in England and Wales took action by protesting over concerns about legal aid funding.

Lawyers refused to step in to cover court appearances or do preparatory work for colleagues whose cases were over-running. Their action was expected to exacerbate the backlog of trials.

The Criminal Bar Association said the government had not implemented a 15 percent increase in legal aid rates which was recommended by an independent review.