Win: Government U-turns on court backlog

Content warning: sexual assault

The Ministry of Justice has announced 2,000 extra sitting days to tackle the court backlog. This brings the total to 108,500 days for courts this year. 

Crisis in the courts has been taking a devastating toll on rape survivors for too long with many dropping out before their case even gets to trial. In fact, the number of survivors who have given up on justice has more than doubled in just five years.

We had already taken the first step in legal action to challenge the Ministry of Justice’s failure to handle the backlog, so survivors waiting years for their trials could get the justice they deserve.

There’s no doubt this decision was made under increasing pressure, but it means that we’re not proceeding with our case. For now.

There’s still one big question mark. Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr told the Commons Justice Committee in November that judges could sit for as many as 113,000 days this year. 

So why are they leaving 4,500 sitting days unused in the middle of the biggest backlog we’ve ever faced? Survivors of serious crimes like rape and sexual assault can’t keep waiting years for justice – we’re not going to let this slide.

We’ll be watching closely to make sure the government doesn’t waste this opportunity to end the long wait for justice.

Because justice delayed is justice denied.