Backlog of cases at Aylesbury Crown Court grows

Aylesbury Crown Court saw its backlog of cases grow at the end of June, figures show.

The Law Society of England and Wales warned trust in the criminal justice system is in "jeopardy" with victims of even the most serious crimes facing long waits to get their case before a court.

The latest figures came ahead of this week's vote by criminal barristers on whether to end indefinite strike action – launched over issues around legal aid fees and conditions – following a pay offer from the Government.

Ministry of Justice data shows there were 696 outstanding cases at Aylesbury Crown Court at the end of June.

That was up from 670 at the end of March, and 672 at the same point in 2021.

Uncompleted case numbers have ​more than doubled since prior the coronavirus pandemic – in June 2019, there were 327 cases outstanding at Aylesbury Crown Court.

Of the cases outstanding at the end of June, 172 (25%) related to alleged violent attacks and 96 (14%) were for sex offences, including 32 alleged rapes.

Across England and Wales, 59,700 cases were yet to be concluded at the end of June – up 2% from March; there were 34,500 outstanding in June 2019.

Diana Fawcett, chief executive, Victim Support, said: “Long waits for trial cause immense stress and misery for victims. Sadly, wait times for court are only part of the problem – many people have already waited years from reporting the crime to the police to their case reaching the courts.

“This a particular problem for victims of sexual violence – our case workers are supporting victims who have been waiting upwards of five years to have their cases heard."

Stephanie Boyce, president of the Law Society, which represents solicitors, said the national backlog of criminal court cases has left victims and defendants facing "unacceptable delays".

“Trust in the system is in real jeopardy and a system collapse would embolden criminals.”

Members of the Criminal Bar Association are set to vote this week on whether to end strike action after being offered “a comprehensive package” including a 15% fee increase for new and existing cases. A decision is due on Monday, October 10.