New figures show the backlog of crown court cases in West Mercia has hit an eight-year high.
Ministry of Justice figures show there were 1,548 open cases waiting to be heard by crown courts in West Mercia as of the end of September. More than doubling since September 2019, before the Covid pandemic, when there were 660 cases.
As Chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board, PCC John Campion regularly brings together key criminal justice partners with a focus on reducing the court backlog, reoffending, improving the experiences of victims and witnesses and reducing attrition.
However, the backlog cannot just be tackled solely at a local level with the PCC consistently raising concerns to the national government.
The PCC said: “I hear all too often from victims and witnesses about the intolerable pain they are feeling due to the delays they are facing – it is not good enough.
“I have been a loud and consistent voice calling for change, as it is not uncommon for a case to be relisted repeatedly and take up to five years to conclude.
“Following my investment we have record numbers of police officers, who are rightly arresting more criminals, but the public are being failed when it comes to bringing them to justice through the criminal justice system.
“The current situation is a damning indictment of the lack of action by successive governments with the crown court backlog in West Mercia being the worst in the country. The new government needs to act and act fast to address an issue which will only get worse.
“They can do so by setting out a clear plan and making resources available to drop the cap on sitting days, boost the amount of court space, and tackle the difficulties leading to defence and prosecution being unable to obtain counsel.”
