Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Government increase funding for judges to address Crown Court delays

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that the total number of sitting days would rise to 110,000 in the next financial year, up from 108,000.

More Judges, Faster Justice: Government Moves to Reduce Court Delays

Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged that the additional sitting days would not be sufficient to clear the backlog. (Photo: Getty Images)

THE UK government has pledged additional funding to increase the number of sitting days for judges in an effort to address the growing backlog of criminal cases in Crown Courts across England and Wales.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that the total number of sitting days would rise to 110,000 in the next financial year, up from 108,000, BBC reported.


The backlog of unresolved prosecutions currently stands at 73,000 and is expected to grow.

Some courts are already scheduling trials into 2028, with defendants being held on remand reaching a record 17,000, accounting for one-fifth of prison spaces.

Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged that the additional sitting days would not be sufficient to clear the backlog.

"The sheer number of cases coming into the system means that the demand is very high, and the backlog, without further policy change, is still going to rise," she told BBC Radio’s Today programme.

Victims Commissioner Baroness Newlove warned that delays were causing severe distress, with some victims turning to drugs, alcohol, or self-harm.

She urged the government to reconsider planned cuts to victim support services, stating, "With funding cuts looming, we face the very real threat of reduced support."

A parliamentary report also criticised the government's handling of court delays. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, called the situation "a terrible indictment of our criminal justice system" and urged urgent reform.

Mary Prior KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, called for uncapped sitting days for at least five years.

Defence barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind warned that while the extra days were a step forward, they were only a short-term solution.

More For You

wasim bashir

Bashir retired from the force while under investigation but will still face misconduct proceedings. (Photo credit: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Former West Yorkshire Police officer jailed for misconduct

A FORMER West Yorkshire Police officer has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison after being convicted of misconduct in a public office.

Wasim Bashir, 55, who worked as a detective constable in Bradford District, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in a public office for forming a sexual relationship with a female victim of crime. He was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, 29 August.

Keep ReadingShow less
Epping protests

Protesters calling for the closure of The Bell Hotel, which was housing asylum seekers, gather outside the council offices in Epping on August 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Over a dozen councils plan legal action despite Home Office court win

Highlights:

  • Court of Appeal has overturned injunction blocking use of Epping hotel for asylum seekers.
  • Judges say human rights obligations outweigh local safety concerns.
  • At least 13 councils preparing legal action despite ruling.
  • Protests outside the Bell Hotel lead to arrests and police injuries.

MORE than a dozen councils are moving ahead with legal challenges against the use of hotels for asylum seekers despite the Home Office winning an appeal in the Court of Appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less
India-Canada-iStock

India and Canada have appointed new envoys in a step to restore diplomatic ties strained since 2023. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Envoys appointed as India, Canada move to restore diplomatic ties

INDIA and Canada on Thursday announced the appointment of new envoys to each other’s capitals, in a step aimed at restoring strained ties following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023.

India has named senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the next high commissioner to Ottawa, while Canada appointed Christopher Cooter as its new envoy to New Delhi.

Keep ReadingShow less
protests-uk-getty
Protesters from the group Save Our Future & Our Kids Future demonstrate against uncontrolled immigration outside the Cladhan Hotel on August 16, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Government wins appeal over housing asylum seekers in hotel

Highlights:

  • UK appeals court overturns ruling blocking hotel use for asylum seekers
  • Judges call earlier High Court decision “seriously flawed”
  • 138 asylum seekers will not need to be relocated by September 12
  • Full hearing scheduled at the Court of Appeal in October

A UK appeals court has overturned a lower court order that had temporarily blocked the use of a hotel in Epping, northeast of London, to house asylum seekers.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK migrant tutor posts

Seema Malhotra (Photo: Getty Images)

Government scraps tutor posts for detained migrants after backlash

HOME OFFICE minister Seema Malhotra has ordered the removal of UK government job advertisements for roles such as a balloon craft tutor, which were being offered to migrants held at a detention centre in London.

The intervention followed a report in The Sun newspaper highlighting job listings worth over £30,000 a year at the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (HIRC).

Keep ReadingShow less