The backlog of cases at Manchester's two main crown courts has fallen, new figures reveal, amid continued calls for widespread change to the judicial system and major reform to cut jury trials.
Backlog Reduction in Manchester
Official Ministry of Justice figures show that as of the end of March 2026, there were 1,671 open cases at Manchester Crown Square, down from 1,742 at the end of 2025 – a reduction of just over four per cent. Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court showed a slight increase in the number of open cases, but overall, nearly half of crown courts in England and Wales reduced their backlog during the first three months of the year.
Three courts – Ipswich, Maidstone and Truro – cut their backlog by 10 per cent between December 2025 and March 2026. A further seven courts, including Bolton and Preston, reduced their backlog by between 5 and 10 per cent.
National Backlog Crisis
Nationally, the crown court backlog stood at 80,061 outstanding cases at the end of March 2026. Of these, a record 22,124 cases – 29 per cent – had been waiting for a year or more. This is up from 17,819 (24 per cent) in March 2025 and 20,939 (6 per cent) compared with the last three months of 2025.
The Ministry of Justice said the backlog had “fallen slightly” compared with the previous three-month period, with a marginal drop of 37 cases – the first quarterly reduction in three years. However, the backlog remains 5 per cent higher than a year ago and more than double the pre-pandemic level of 33,118 in early 2019.
Justice Minister's Warning
Justice minister Sarah Sackman warned that without major reforms to cut jury trials, it could take “nearly 300 years” to clear the backlog. She said: “As the latest figures indicate, record investment, greater efficiency, and increased sitting days are starting to stabilise the backlog – but they cannot reverse it alone. We’re moving in the right direction, but the scale of the challenge is stark. In the most serious cases, victims are waiting longer than ever – and at this pace, it could take nearly 300 years to clear the backlog. It’s encouraging to see our work beginning to pay off but there’s no room for complacency – we know there is a long road to go.”
Sexual Offences and Delays
Sexual offences make up a growing proportion of the oldest cases. Nearly one in four backlog cases that had been open for at least a year at the end of March 2026 were for sexual offences, up from 21 per cent in March 2025 and 18 per cent in March 2024.
Reactions from Legal Bodies
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which opposes the government's plan to reduce jury trials, said the latest figures show the backlog is “coming under control”. CBA chairwoman Riel Karmy-Jones KC claimed the government did not have a “shred of evidence that jury reforms were needed” and that this was not the cause of the backlog. She added: “It’s high time the Government ditched its ill-conceived attack on the right to trial by jury. The justification for these plans has never been there – these figures show MPs have been misled by assumptions dressed up as evidence.”
Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman OBE, said: “After years of an ever-increasing backlog, I'm hopeful that the overall caseload in the Crown Courts is beginning to stabilise. This reflects decisions to increase sitting days and the hard work of those in the justice system.”
