Ten cases a day – how ‘blitz courts’ could tackle the Crown Court backlog
Ten cases a day – how ‘blitz courts’ could tackle the Crown Court backlog
Efficiency in Action
In a Crown Court session in Nottingham, a man faced charges for sending explicit images of his genitals to a 13-year-old girl and possessing nearly 200 child sexual abuse photos. The judge, expressing concern, assigned a two-year suspended sentence and ordered 118 hours of unpaid community work, along with registration on the sex offenders list for a decade. A woman listened as he was sentenced, trying to conceal tears. The hearing took 45 minutes.
Blitz Courts in Operation
Nottingham is one of a select group of crown courts implementing “blitz” hearings, where multiple cases are processed rapidly in a single day. These sessions aim to reduce the growing backlog in the criminal justice system. The initiative is expanding, with plans to roll out blitz courts to additional courts in England and Wales, including London’s Old Bailey.
During the day I observed, Judge Michael Auty KC addressed ten cases, four of which involved sex offences. The first was a 44-year-old man who had shared intimate images of a Muslim woman he had sex with and later attempted to blackmail her. The court heard he threatened to expose her naked photos in a hotel room to her family if she didn’t continue sleeping with him. “These offences are mean, manipulative,” the judge remarked before handing down a two-year suspended jail sentence, adding: “You’ve escaped jail by the skin of your teeth.”
The scheme allows judges to handle dozens of cases in a single day, streamlining proceedings for similar charges. This approach is not entirely new; blitz hearings were previously used to expedite cases during the 2011 summer riots. Now, the government is scaling it up as part of a broader effort to clear caseloads. The funding comes from a £2.7bn allocation for courts and tribunals this financial year, up from £2.5bn in the previous year.
A Historical Context
Blitz courts are primarily used for trials but also cover sentencing and appeals. The system enables faster resolution of cases, reducing delays and freeing up resources. However, some cases might not need the full Crown Court process. Judge Auty KC noted that certain cases could have been resolved by magistrates, leading to quicker pleas and less strain on the system.
Voices from the Courtroom
Victims of crimes, some of whom face delays until 2030, argue that the extended wait times are unacceptable. They emphasize the need for urgent reforms to ensure timely justice. Meanwhile, the Central Criminal Court will soon use two separate courts to handle blitz hearings focused on assaults against emergency workers, with over 600 such cases pending.
The backlog in crown courts has doubled since the pandemic, with 80,000 cases currently awaiting resolution. By year-end, this number is expected to surpass 100,000, and projections suggest it could reach 200,000 by 2035 if changes aren’t made. Supporters of the blitz court model claim it provides benefits like earlier pleas, swifter justice, and opportunities for community-based rehabilitation without overcrowding prisons.
