Already lengthy Covid backlog in courts increases further

Liverpool Crown Court and Chester Crown Court, where the vast majority of the most serious criminal cases involving Warrington are heard, are facing an ever-increasing build-up of cases.

Ministry of Justice data shows there were 1,688 outstanding cases at Liverpool Crown Court at the end of March.

That was a rise of 51 per cent on the 1,118 at the same time last year and a rise of 87 cases since the last backlog figures were published up to December.

The figure includes 334 cases relating to alleged violent attacks and 188 for sex offences.

The situation is also bad at Chester Crown Court, where there are 585 outstanding cases, including 124 relating to alleged violent attacks and 86 for sex offences.

This is a rise of 47 per cent on the 397 waiting to be heard at this point last year, and a rise of seven cases since December last year.

One trial being tracked by the Warrington Guardian has been scheduled for July 2022 at Liverpool Crown, while the furthest into the future at Chester Crown is listed for February.

Across England and Wales, 59,500 cases were waiting to be dealt with by crown courts at the end of March – an increase of 45 per cent on the previous year.

The Ministry of Justice said the long delays were brought on by the impact of Covid-19, which led to a limited operation at criminal courts, particularly last year.

However, the Law Society of England and Wales, which represents solicitors, said the pandemic has only compounded decades of underfunding and court closures.

Liverpool Crown Court

President Stephanie Boyce said the case delays made a ‘courts crisis’ even worse and had the potential to impact not just victims' lives, but also the outcomes of cases.

She added: “Let’s not forget victims, waiting years for justice, and sometimes giving up on the system, which is a heavy blow for justice in this country.

“Memories fade, meaning witnesses cannot give such strong evidence, which may make the difference between conviction and acquittal.”

Charity Victim Support said the longer waits had a damaging impact on victims, particularly those suffering trauma from serious offences.

Rachel Almeida, assistant director, said: “Long delays undermine confidence in the criminal justice system and can deter victims and survivors from engaging in future.

“All possible steps must be taken to address the court backlog and reduce these long waits for trial.”

Coronavirus restrictions meant trials could not be held in some court buildings, leading to the opening of 60 Nightingale courtrooms across England and Wales, some based in stadiums, town halls and theatres.

Hearings were also carried out through remote technology, with more than half done in this way between May and December last year.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said since April this year, the backlog of outstanding cases at crown courts had started to fall, although the latest figures were unavailable at individual court level.

They said: “Dedicated staff and professionals kept justice moving during the pandemic, and thanks to their efforts we are seeing positive results – outstanding cases in the crown court are beginning to drop.

“Major challenges remain, which is why we are investing hundreds of millions to further increase capacity, deliver swifter justice and support victims.”