Plan to tackle 'courts emergency' to be unveiled - and one possible measure is sparking concern

Radical measures to tackle the "courts emergency" volition beryllium unveiled by the authorities contiguous - with speculation that assemblage trials could beryllium constricted to the astir superior of crimes.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy volition pass that agelong waiting times person "pushed the justness strategy to the brink of collapse".

He says delays person led immoderate victims to springiness up connected the ineligible process oregon uncertainty enactment volition beryllium taken if they study a crime, meaning perpetrators aren't held to account.

Laying retired Labour's reforms, Mr Lammy volition add: "For galore victims, justness delayed is often justness denied … This simply cannot spell connected - we indispensable beryllium bold."

The latest figures suggest determination is present a record-breaking backlog of 78,000 crown tribunal cases, meaning immoderate trials are not owed to statesman until 2030. Some estimates bespeak this could balloon to 100,000 wrong the adjacent 3 years.

What could beryllium announced?

Over the summer, a erstwhile elder justice outlined his recommendations for overhauling the justness system.

Sir Brian Leveson has projected diverting much offences to magistrates' courts - and restricting juries to "indictable-only" cases involving murder, rape, and manslaughter.

This could besides widen to superior and analyzable fraud allegations, with judges fixed greater power implicit however cases should beryllium handled.

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Mr Lammy, who besides serves arsenic justness secretary, has rejected claims that helium is readying to scrap assemblage trials - and alternatively says helium wants to "save" the system.

But the connection is facing absorption from MPs and ineligible professionals - with the Law Society of England and Wales describing it arsenic an "extreme measure" that whitethorn bash small to destruct the backlog of cases.

Shadow justness caput Robert Jenrick claims Labour person exacerbated the occupation and accused Mr Lammy of abandoning his principles.

He said: "This twelvemonth unsocial 21,000 tribunal sitting days person been missed, and the tribunal backlog is up 10% connected their watch.

"Instead of depriving British citizens of past liberties, David Lammy should get his ain section successful order."

Ministry of Justice figures suggest adjacent to fractional of cases successful the backlog subordinate to convulsive and intersexual offences, and lone astir 3% of transgression cases are presently heard by a jury.

'Not a metallic bullet'

Mr Lammy is besides acceptable to denote that £550m volition beryllium fixed to unfortunate enactment services implicit the adjacent 3 years to assistance survivors and witnesses going done the justness process.

Incoming victims' commissioner Claire Waxman has welcomed the further backing arsenic a "necessary step" but warned: "The sums pledged are not a metallic slug for the wider situation facing the sector."

Other measures are acceptable to see further sitting days successful crown courts, and a match-fund strategy to enactment young radical opening careers arsenic transgression barristers.

The Magistrates' Association's main enforcement Tom Franklin said measures that velocity up justness for victims, witnesses, and defendants are "worth considering - arsenic agelong arsenic they equilibrium ratio with prime of justice".