Court backlogs stabilise after 1 year of COVID

Court backlogs stabilise after 1 year of COVID

The number of court cases unheard at Magistrate and Crown Courts is beginning to stabilise for the first time since the pandemic began back in March 2020.

Before the pandemic hit, there were 39,331 outstanding courts cases and 2,021 disposals issued per week. That number grew by 50% but is now beginning to shrink. According to the HM Courts & Tribunal Service, there were 57,894 Crown court cases still outstanding on 25 April 2021, down 58,056 from the previous week, which has hovered since the beginning of February.

Court disposals are also on the rise, wherein April 9,583 were issued, up from 7,831 in March. The Ministry of Justice announced there will be no cap on judicial sitting days for the next financial year to reduce the backlog. Out of court disposals are a way of dealing with less serious offences, however, the offender must admit that they are guilty of an offence and have no previous offences recorded. This comes as part of a £450m government fund to support the justice system in England and Wales.

Mid-pandemic, 20 Nightingale Courts were opened to tackle the increasing backlog of court hearings. 8 of these are dedicated to criminal cases while the rest are for dealing with civil and family matters. Questions loom over the future of several of these temporary courts that are operating under contracts ending this month. 3 of which, has closed already in Chester, Lancaster, and Birmingham. The government is negotiating extensions for 14 of the 30 makeshift courtrooms with landlords of the existing venues.

Alternatively, many hearings have happened virtually. With thanks to tech companies like Zoom, MS Teams and Skype, hearings have been able to continue remotely through video meetings at home, in prison and at the office. Many legal professionals approve of this alternative arrangement, where it has allowed representatives and judges more time to prepare for their caseload and attend hearings. With no travelling required, diminishes time spent on travelling to court, which is a big deal with the closure of courts over the years.

Virtual hearings and uncapped judicial sitting days may be the force that continues to tackle the backlog unless the temporary sites can remain open.

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