Courts backlog soars by nearly 100,000 since Labour took power as record 23,706 cases wait over a year

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

The combined crown court and magistrates' court backlog has hit 461,059 cases — up 98,725 since Labour came to power — with nearly a quarter of the year-long crown court delays involving sex crimes. The crown court backlog alone has almost DOUBLED in six years, reaching 80,829 cases, and the median wait for an open case has for the first time exceeded 200 days.

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy accused Labour of 'attacking our ancient right to a jury trial' rather than fixing the crisis.

Courts minister Sarah Sackman pledged action 'on all fronts', but the government's guidance conspicuously omitted any mention of the controversial jury trial reforms.

Labour's Courts and Tribunals Bill — which would scrap jury trials for thousands of cases — returns to Parliament next month, even as critics say it merely shifts the problem.