Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the problems caused by lengthy court delays on the availability of witnesses and the reliability of evidence.

Official Statistics (www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics) show that in the period between the end of June 2024 and the end of June 2025, of the 29,341 trials in the Crown Courts, 573 were ineffective due to witness unavailability. This number is down from 673 trials the previous year (June 2023 - June 2024).

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. It is unacceptable that victims and witnesses are waiting years for justice. We are committed to creating a more stable and sustainable criminal justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. That is why we took immediate action, funding a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days this financial year. We have also committed to investing up to £92 million more a year in criminal legal aid solicitors and boosted Magistrates’ sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months.

However, fundamental reform is necessary. That is why the previous Lord Chancellor asked Sir Brian Leveson to propose once-in-a-generation reform that will improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swifter justice for victims.

Part one of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts has now been published. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals and will publish a government response in due course, then introduce legislation when parliamentary time allows. Part two of the Review, considering how the criminal courts can operate as efficiently as possible, is expected to be finalised later this year.