Liverpool Crown Court will start hearing cases from Wigan, a town in Greater Manchester, within weeks. Trials and sentences for crimes committed in Wigan, currently heard at Bolton Crown Court, will be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts in Liverpool from June 22, 2026.
Reason for Change
The Ministry of Justice confirmed the move, citing Liverpool Crown Court's lower backlog compared to other courts. For instance, Manchester Crown Square Crown Court schedules trials as far as August 2028, while Liverpool lists cases only up to July 2027. This capacity allows Liverpool to absorb cases from Manchester, Bolton, Chester, and now Wigan permanently.
Judicial Perspective
Lord Justice Edis, vice president of the Court of Appeal Criminal Division, praised Liverpool's efficiency on the Criminal Justice Matters podcast. He noted the court's close relationship with the local bar and favorable resource-to-workload ratio as key to its success. He contrasted this with London courts, where high caseloads and limited resources cause delays.
Liverpool Crown Court already covers Merseyside, Southport, St Helens, Wirral, Widnes, and parts of Warrington. Wigan cases were previously heard there before a 2016 reorganization. The Judicial Office stated that the judicial decision was based on Liverpool having fewer outstanding cases per courtroom than Greater Manchester.
