Yet another grim milestone as Crown Court backlog reaches unprecedented levels

The latest official figures show there were 76,957 open cases waiting to be heard at the end of March 2025, up from 74,592 in December and an 11% increase on the previous year (69,021).

A quarter of those — some 18,093 cases — have already been open for a year or more. More than 1,600 rape cases were open for longer than 12 months, also a new record.

It comes as Sir Brian Leveson prepares to publish a report on “once-in-a-generation” reforms to the courts system to reduce the load on the crown courts, and following the conclusion of the recent Spending Review.

Reacting to the latest figures, Baroness Newlove said the statistics “mark a grim milestone”, with record delays “leaving victims waiting longer than ever for justice.”

She cautioned that the Leveson Review will not bring change “overnight” and that victims will need to be supported. Tens of thousands of victims will still be waiting months – and often years – for their day in court. So, it is essential that victim services are there to support them and keep them engaged in their pursuit of justice.

However, the Commissioner warned that these services were “underfunded, overstretched, and expected to do more with less – all while facing rising demand and threats to future funding.”

In December, Victim Support warned it faced a 7% real-terms funding cut, while 30% of Rape Crisis directors said they would have to close down their Rape Crisis centre altogether, with three centres closing since. 

Commenting on the new figures, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:

“Today’s court statistics mark a grim milestone – record delays are leaving victims waiting longer than ever for justice. For rape victims, the picture is especially stark: in over 1,600 cases, victims have spent over a year waiting for their day in court – their trauma prolonged, and their lives left in limbo.

The Leveson Review offers a chance for meaningful reform – but real change doesn’t happen overnight. In the meantime, victims and the services that support them bear the burden: underfunded, overstretched, and expected to do more with less – all while facing rising demand and threats to future funding.

Now that the Spending Review is complete, it is so important that the Ministry of Justice acts quickly to ensure victims are not left behind and justice is served without delay.

Victims should not have to shoulder the burden of a growing backlog alone.”

This comes as the Victims’ Commissioner and Domestic Abuse Commissioner issued an unprecedented joint intervention with a letter to the Prime Minister ahead of the Spending Review, which took place earlier this month. In their joint letter, they warned Kier Starmer he is at risk of missing his flagship target to halve violence against women and girls – unless urgent investment is made in victim support services.

Their letter to Sir Keir Starmer warns that support services are being “pushed to the brink” by funding cuts and rising demand, with growing waiting lists and a lack of secure long-term funding. These pressures, they argue, are jeopardising victims’ ability to access safety and justice.

With the Spending Review now complete, attention turns to the Ministry of Justice as it prepares to outline its funding priorities. But there are serious concerns that victim services will again be left underfunded. These fears have been reinforced by a Treasury document stating: “MoJ will also continue to investigate efficiency opportunities in key policy areas such as legal aid and victims, to ensure that it is delivering value for money for the taxpayer.”