Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy has declared that radical reforms to the UK's justice system will be "life-changing" for victims, as he sets out plans to tackle a crippling backlog of cases.
Canadian Inspiration for a System in Crisis
Lammy revealed that a recent visit to the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto gave him hope for victims in the UK. He witnessed a system where expert judges, not juries, presided over trials for less serious offences, dramatically speeding up the process.
"I heard from judges who said these trials were much faster than those heard by juries - sometimes cutting trial lengths in half," Lammy stated. He argued that while the UK and Canada share common-law foundations, the Tories allowed British courts to stall while Canada modernised.
The Stark Reality of the UK's Backlog
The scale of the crisis is laid bare in the latest figures. In 2019, the backlog in Crown Courts in England and Wales stood at around 38,000 cases. Today, that number has ballooned to almost 80,000. Without intervention, projections suggest it could rise to 116,000 by 2029.
Lammy emphasised the human cost, stating: "It is ordinary working people who pay the price. Survivors of rape, violence and burglary are left unable to move on with their lives, forced to wait years while their attackers roam the streets."
The Swift Court Solution and Guarantees for Justice
The government's answer is the introduction of new 'Swift Courts', which will sit within the Crown Court. These will allow judges to hear cases where the expected sentence is three years or less, without a jury.
Lammy was unequivocal in stressing that this is not the end of trial by jury. "Juries will always remain at the heart of our justice system for the most serious crimes," he said. "Rape, murder and grievous bodily harm will always be decided by a jury of your peers. That will not change."
The reform is part of a wider package, coupled with an extra £150 million per year to modernise courts and fund record-breaking sitting days. Lammy argued that simply building more courtrooms is not the solution, as the bottleneck lies in the availability of judges, lawyers, and court staff.
"The world has changed," Lammy noted. "Smartphones and advances in forensics mean mountains of more evidence. Jury trials, which make up just 3% of criminal trials, now take about twice as long as they did 25 years ago."
He framed the choice starkly: "Do nothing, as the last government did, and watch victims suffer as the system collapses. Or reform, modernise, and restore justice. Canada shows there is a better way. This government has the guts to take it."
