Courts backlog soars by NEARLY 100,000 cases since Labour took power, hitting a record 461,000

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026.

The Crown court backlog in England and Wales has reached a fresh record of 80,829 cases, with magistrates' courts carrying a further 380,230, bringing the combined total to 461,059 — an increase of 98,725 since Labour took office in July 2024. A Bill to abolish jury trials for thousands of cases each year is set to return to Parliament next month, as the government presses on with the plan despite the mounting crisis.

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy accused Labour of 'attacking our ancient right to a jury trial rather than taking effective action' on the backlog.

The combined backlog has effectively doubled in size over six years, with the latest figures showing little sign of the Crown court queue stabilising.

Timothy said Andy Burnham 'entered office without a plan' and demanded Labour increase court efficiency instead of shifting cases away from juries.