Court case backlog falling in Lancashire as magistrates system in chaos after closure of Preston and Blackpool

Fewer crown court cases in Lancashire are waiting for an outcome, new figures show.

This is despite a record backlog across England, with the Victims' Commissioner expressing "grave concern" at the new figures.

Data from the Ministry of Justice shows there were 1,623 outstanding crown court cases in Lancashire as of September – down from 1,957 a year earlier.

However, this was a rise from 1,054 outstanding cases in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.

Across England, there were 66,547 outstanding cases in crown courts.

This was up 6% on the year before and the highest figure since records began almost a decade ago in 2014.

These figures also do not take into account the issues plaguing the magistrates court circuit in Lancashire - with two of the main magistrates buildings Preston and Blackpool remianin shut after the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete.

Cases are being transferred around the county being heard in Blackburn, Burnley and Preston Crown Court.

A spokesman from the Courts and Tribunals Service said about the closure of Blackpool and Preston Magistrates Courts: "We have temporarily closed these sites as a safety measure due to the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. Cases will be heard at alternative sites to minimise disruption."

Baroness Newlove, Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, said the figures were concerning and "no victim should be expected to wait years before their case gets to court".

She called for "urgent and creative intervention" to address the backlog.

On average, cases in Lancashire had been waiting 109 days to be dealt with – with 40 cases unresolved for two years or more.

In September 2019, cases in the area were waiting 70 days, while five had waits of longer than two years.

The Law Society of England and Wales cautioned the "fundamental right to access to justice is at stake without urgent investment into criminal justice".

President Nick Emmerson said the criminal justice system was "withering at the root due to decades of underinvestment and the Government’s failure to tackle the crisis".

He said court delays were compounded by a shortage of legal professionals, poor infrastructure and overrun prisons.

However, the Ministry of Justice said crown courts were now handling more cases than at any point since 2019 – and it is likely the backlog will rise in line with higher caseloads.

The Government previously set a target of reducing the crown court backlog to 53,000 by March 2025.

The number of outstanding magistrate court cases – which are generally less serious in nature – has also risen, and currently stands at 353,000 cases.

Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood branded the figures a "new low for this failing Government".

She added: "While the Government continues to outdo its own failures, it is victims up and down this country that are suffering because of this inept leadership."

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said: "People who break the law must face justice, and these figures show crown courts are now dealing with the highest number of cases than at any point since 2019.

"This is a direct result of our decisive action to let courts run at full throttle – like lifting the cap on the number of court sitting days, keeping Nightingale Courts open and investing more in our buildings to deliver a modern and effective justice system."