Nicole Keeling
With more than 73,000 criminal cases waiting for a trial, a crushing backlog in Crown Courts throughout England and Wales remains inflicting misery. For many victims, these delays are more than an inconvenience — they’re a calamitous setback that exacerbates trauma, leaving them to linger emotionally while awaiting justice.
This week a new report from the Victims’ Commissioner highlighted the more widespread repercussions of these delays. Victims have described how the years-long wait for their day in court re-traumatised them and, in some cases, drove them to unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol or drugs. Others are having mental breakdowns — and some are self-harming, or considering suicide.
The Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, also condemned how the system has failed those most in need of protection. In the report, she detailed how the delays had transformed what should have been a path toward justice into an endless cycle of stress and uncertainty. “Victims came forward wanting justice, and the only thing that’s happened is that they’ve been retraumatised by the very system that was meant to support them,” Newlove said.
Consider the case of “Bella”; she reported the abuse in 2014, but charges were not filed until 2022. Bella’s trial did not come until 2023, almost a decade of waiting. The delays had a critical impact on her life. “I am not waiting; waiting has cost me jobs, waiting has cost me mental health, waiting has made me feel like I had no say in my own future,” Bella said. “I was unable to work or function normally due to the constant uncertainty.
Nearly half of victims surveyed in the report had their trial dates rescheduled at least once, and some cases have been delayed multiple times. For those already coping with traumatic experiences, these setbacks are more than just frustrating—they are a further injustice. Many victims drop out of the process altogether, unable to handle the emotional toll of waiting. The pressure is also being felt by support services, which are struggling to keep up with demand as more victims enter the system.
The government has acknowledged the issue and promised to take action. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently announced plans to increase the number of court sitting days to tackle the backlog. However, even with the additional resources, the situation is unlikely to improve quickly, with some victims not expected to see their cases heard until as late as 2028.
Despite these measures, many experts, including Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society, have raised concerns over a lack of adequate funding and resources. “The Crown Court backlog is undermining the justice system,” Atkinson said. “Without proper investment and reform, the situation will continue to worsen.”
Baroness Newlove has also highlighted the emotional cost of the delays, stressing that the impact on victims is far too great to ignore. “This system is not just failing to deliver timely justice—it’s causing real harm to the people it’s supposed to protect,” she said.
While the government continues to promise reforms, the backlog remains a major issue for those seeking justice. As the situation grows more urgent, victims and support services alike are calling for a system that delivers faster, fairer outcomes for those who have already endured so much.