Government to set up “blitz” courts as part of measures to tackle criminal case backlog

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who is also Justice Secretary, said these new courts would list similar cases together over a short period to concentrate court resources and expertise.

He said this would help to ensure any guilty pleas came earlier and make it less likely court time was wasted when a case cannot proceed at the last minute. 

Speaking at the launch of a series of court reforms, Lammy said: “We will renew the system after years of decline, so that it is serious about justice as it exists today and once again we’re able to deliver the swifter outcomes that victims should be able to expect and have always deserved.”

The Deputy Prime Minister said the criminal courts will benefit from investment to speed up justice as part of a three-year funding deal, and with no cap on the number of days the Crown Court can sit.

There will be £2.78bn for courts and tribunals for 2026-27, up from £2.54bn last year, and “firm commitments through to 2028-29”. Magistrates’ courts would “be funded to the highest operational capacity”. 

He said there would be a new National Listing Framework to standardise decisions on when cases are heard and end variations between courts, steps he said would ensure serious cases were treated with due urgency.

Lammy also said the use of artificial intelligence (AI) would increase to transcribe more hearings, including within the Immigration and Asylum Tribunals, and be used to anonymise material across the court system and summarise judgments.  

The courts service will also pilot an AI-assisted listing assistant for cases. This would be in addition to extra case co-ordinators being employed at Crown Courts to move cases forward and relieve judges of routine tasks.

Some local highway authorities will meanwhile be asked to permit prison vans to use bus lanes.

Mark Smulian