News Editor, Solicitors Journal

Crown Court backlog increases

9 Jun 202260 Seconds

'[T]he backlog is decreasing at a snail's pace' – The Law Society

Criminal court backlog figures for April show 58,271 outstanding cases in the Crown Court compared to 57,870 in March. “It is very concerning to see the Crown Court backlog has increased compared to the previous month,” said Law Society vice president Lubna Shuja. “[T]he backlog is decreasing at a snail’s pace – by just 286 cases in six months from November 2021 and April 2022 – but the fact the backlog has gone up again in the most recent month tells us the problem will not be resolved without a radical shift from the Ministry of Justice”.

Legal News desk contact: editorial@solicitorsjournal.com

Latest Articles

AI and public law: risks, duties and compliance

AI promises efficiency and savings, but public sector use must comply with legal principles to safeguard fairness and accountability

Supreme Court judgment prompts fraud case review

The Serious Fraud Office has responded to the Supreme Court’s decision impacting several fraud convictions

GPS tags lead to crime reduction

A new report reveals the effectiveness of GPS tagging, which has reduced reoffending rates by 20 percent

Abdol Hossein Azizi v Dama Construction Limited: Appeal dismissed on construction access denial

Access denial during basement excavation leads to structural damage liability in High Court appeal

Disclosure obligations prevail over foreign prosecution concerns in cross-border investigations

High Court ruling clarifies disclosure duties amid international criminal investigations

Tribunal upholds manifestly unreasonable exception in environmental information dispute

First-tier Tribunal dismisses appeal against Information Commissioner, reinforcing limits on environmental information requests under EIR.

Forestscape Limited successfully challenges asset of community value designation

First-tier Tribunal allows appeal against woodland's ACV classification, emphasising evidential requirements for community value designations.

Jury trials under threat in fraud

Plans to replace juries with specialist judges in fraud trials spark fierce debate over justice, efficiency, and rights

UK migration crackdown could pile pressure on lawyers

Sweeping visa curbs and settlement delays pose major compliance challenges, leaving lawyers to navigate risks for clients

Tribunal upholds disclosure of hydrogen heating environmental information

First-tier Tribunal dismisses Secretary of State appeal on environmental information disclosure

High Court scrutinises prolonged immigration detention amid mental health concerns

Immigration detention challenged where vulnerable detainee's mental health deteriorates significantly

High Court refuses DoLS extension for young sexual offender on licence

High Court declines deprivation of liberty order for rehabilitating juvenile offender

Article 13(b) defence in international child abduction: YM v ML analysis

High Court ruling demonstrates stringent threshold for grave risk exception under Hague Convention.

High Court rules on employee share option rights after termination

High Court examines share option exercise rights following employment termination in Dixon v GlobalData

High Court clarifies creditor rights in DG Resources Ltd v HMRC winding-up dispute

High Court reinforces HMRC's creditor position whilst examining service requirements and cross-claim thresholds.

SJ Interview: James Palmer CBE

James Palmer CBE, Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, has long been recognised as one of the UK’s most influential corporate lawyers and policy voices. Awarded a CBE in 2025 for his services to business and law, he has combined a high-profile career in M&A with decades of work on legal reform. In this interview, he discusses the challenges of legislative inflation and corporate advice, access to justice, and the future role of technology.

The SQE is failing its own test

Five years on, the SQE is underperforming, and targeted reforms could close persistent gaps.