PCC welcomes independent review of criminal courts to speed up justice for victims

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed the launch of an independent review into the criminal courts to address the problems that prevent timely justice.

The review was announced by Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood and aims to identify how the criminal courts could be reformed to ensure future cases are dealt with proportionately amid rising pressures on the Crown Court.

The review will be chaired by former President of the Queen's Bench Division, Sir Brian Leveson, who will make recommendations on how courts could operate more efficiently in the future without jeopardising the right to a fair trial.

County Durham and Darlington PCC Joy Allen has strongly welcomed the move.

Since first being elected in 2021, the Commissioner has lobbied for wholesale changes to the criminal justice system to protect victims from being retraumatised by waiting months or years for their cases to arrive in court.

She said: “I welcome this review and the commitment to rectifying issues that are impeding the delivery of swift justice for victims.

“Victims of crime should not become victims of the criminal justice system. Sadly, for many, the experience can be even more traumatic than the crime itself and this is simply unacceptable.

“More cases than ever are failing due to victims’ non-cooperation, chiefly because of a broken system that leaves them in limbo for years on end.

“I hope this review also considers the re-introduction of an HMCTS Inspectorate. All other criminal justice agencies have an Inspectorate and are obliged to respond to recommendations identified as areas for improvement by His Majesty’s Inspectors. This would be a good thing, not just for HMCTS, but to allow a truly cross-agency criminal justice inspection capability to improve its collective services to victims of crime.

“Independent reviews of this kind are vital for driving change. I hope Sir Brian’s recommendations will become the catalyst for a complete overhaul of our criminal courts, placing victims of crime front and centre and delivering the justice they deserve.

The review is expected to consider options for reducing demand in the Crown Court by retaining more cases in the lower courts.

This could include:

• The reclassification of offences from triable ‘either-way’ to summary only.
• Consideration of magistrates’ sentencing powers.
• The introduction of an Intermediate Court.
• Any other structural changes to the courts or changes to mode of trial that will ensure the most proportionate use of resource.

The review will build on previous reviews of the criminal courts including the 2001 Review of the Criminal Courts in England and Wales by Lord Justice Auld and the 2015 report into Efficiency in Criminal Proceedings by Sir Brian Leveson.

Sir Brian is expected to report on the options for long-term reform by late Spring 2025. This will be followed by the publication of findings on court efficiency by Autumn 2025.

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