Crown court trials delayed due to funding cuts

Court cases in Cumbria are facing delays due to funding cuts affecting the number of days a judge can sit.

More than two dozen trials at Carlisle Crown Court are set to be hit between now and the end of April.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the judiciary had sought money to finance an extra 6,000 "sitting days" across England and Wales to allow courts to run at full capacity, but only 500 were granted.

The Ministry of Justice said the government "inherited a justice system in crisis" and was "committed to bearing down" on the backlog of cases.

Carlisle's resident judge and court staff in charge of listing trials are investigating the impact, with workloads being reduced by up to 12 weeks.

A law called custody time limit (CTL) governs the period of time a defendant can be held in prison before standing trial.

For this reason, cases involving defendants currently in custody and awaiting trial at Carlisle are prioritised.

Meanwhile, cases with a defendant on bail could be pushed back, causing delays for complainants and witnesses.

The situation was highlighted at Carlisle Crown Court on Monday, as a man, who denies a sex offence allegation from 2023, heard he will not stand trial until February, 2026.

"It's horrible, my life is on hold," he said after the hearing.

"The impact on my mental health and also financially, is awful. I'm just struggling."

He had been told in court by Judge Nicholas Barker, as the trial date was announced: "That is the state of the court's list. It has been well documented in the press.

"For this court and no doubt other courts this is the length of time it takes cases such as these to come into the list.

"It is regretful. Nevertheless, that's what it is."

Rachel Almeida, assistant director at the charity Victim Support, said many "will lose faith in the criminal justice system altogether" if delays were not tackled.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) showed in 2023 it took an average of almost five months to get a case resolved by a jury in Carlisle, from the time it was first referred to the crown court.

A spokesperson said: "While we are bound by our financial inheritance, this government is committed to bearing down on the crown court backlog.

"We have added 500 further sitting days and extended magistrates' sentencing powers from six to 12 months, freeing up 2,000 days for the crown court to handle the most serious cases."

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