蜜芽传媒

When the Labour government came to power in 2024, it faced a crisis in the criminal courts, with ever-longer delays and a growing backlog of cases.

The Ministry of Justice's budget is now one third higher in real terms than in 2019, but according to the latest figures, cases that are yet to be heard reached a record high of 78,329.

In October, the Justice Secretary David Lammy promised more funding to increase the number of days that English and Welsh courts will sit next year.

But is throwing money at the problem enough? How can the courts service be improved, and are there any realistic alternatives to criminal cases being heard in court?

Also in the programme:
Protests in support of the banned group Palestine Action could result in 400 trials - so will this make court delays worse?
and are UK laws fair to football fans?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles

Contributors