Justice Secretary Lifts Cap on Crown Court Sitting Days to Reduce Backlog

In Brief

David Lammy announces funding to remove limits on crown court sitting days in England and Wales.

Key Facts

• David Lammy is the justice secretary and deputy prime minister.
• The cap on court sitting days at crown courts in England and Wales will be lifted.
• Every crown court in England and Wales will be funded to hear as many cases as possible next financial year.
• The move aims to reduce the backlog of cases in the criminal justice system.
• Criminal barristers have welcomed the decision to remove the limit on court sitting days.

What Happened

David Lammy announced that the government will remove the cap on the number of sitting days for crown courts across England and Wales. This change will be supported by funding to enable courts to hear more cases in the next financial year. The decision is part of efforts to address the backlog of criminal cases.

Why It Matters

Removing the cap on court sitting days is intended to increase the capacity of the criminal justice system to process cases more quickly. This could reduce delays for defendants and victims awaiting trial. The decision has been positively received by criminal barristers, indicating support from legal professionals for measures to improve court efficiency.