New figures reveal crown court backlog in Northumbria

Northumbria: The backlog in crown courts is getting pretty serious. New stats show there are over 2,000 cases just sitting there, waiting to be heard. That’s a big jump from a few years back.

Baroness Newlove, who looks out for victims, called it a real failure of the justice system. She’s saying this can’t keep happening and that we need some changes.

As of the end of September, there were 2,075 cases open in Northumbria. That’s up 62.62% since before the pandemic. It’s the highest backlog we’ve seen since records started in 2016.

Across England and Wales, the situation is even worse, with over 73,000 cases waiting. That’s nearly double what it was just a few years ago. Victims are facing waits of two to five years for their cases to go to trial, which is just crazy.

Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said the wait times are the worst he’s ever seen. It’s frustrating for everyone involved.

At the end of September, there were 5,660 cases that had been waiting for two years or more. Back in December 2019, that number was just 592. It’s a huge jump.

In response, the Government has brought in retired judge Sir Brian Leveson to review the court system. They’re looking for ways to speed things up.

In Northumbria alone, there are 261 sexual offence cases, 217 theft cases, and 738 cases of violence against a person still pending.

Some ministers are even suggesting that scrapping jury trials for certain cases might help clear the backlog. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the scale of this issue is unprecedented.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Justice acknowledged the rising caseload and the delays it causes for victims. They’re committed to tackling this backlog and have asked Sir Brian Leveson to help find solutions.

They’re also adding more court days and using Nightingale Courts to handle more cases. It’s a tough situation, but they’re trying to make it better.