Specialist rape courts to be rolled out across England and Wales

Specialist courtrooms are set to be rolled out across every Crown Court in England and Wales to handle rape and serious sexual offences, aiming to tackle long wait times and low prosecution rates. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the package, which includes private entrances, designated waiting rooms, fixed trial dates, and trauma-informed training for court staff to better support survivors navigating the justice system.

The overhaul responds to mounting pressure over crippling court backlogs and severe delays that have forced many complainants to drop out of proceedings. Figures from Rape Crisis England & Wales recorded thousands of open adult rape cases awaiting trial in the Crown Court, reflecting a dramatic surge compared to prior years. Compounding these delays, victims have frequently faced floating lists and repeated adjournments. One survivor told the BBC that she ultimately abandoned her case after waiting years through multiple trial postponements, including a last-minute adjournment when a judge fell ill. Last year, the Salford Survivor Project stated that victims of rape and sexual assault were being failed by the system as court backlogs reached a record high, warning that long trial delays severely impacted victims' mental health.

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Under the new plans, courts will ditch floating lists in favour of fixed trial dates to accelerate proceedings. Survivors will also gain access to private entrances and separate waiting rooms, facilities that charity advocates note are essential to prevent complainants from coming into face-to-face contact with defendants and their supporters. Additionally, court staff will undergo trauma-informed training, and a single dedicated point of contact will be assigned to each survivor throughout the legal process. Lord Chancellor Alex Norris stated that victims have been treated as cases to process rather than people to support, emphasizing that the funding will deliver courtrooms designed with victim needs in mind. Earlier in the year, the government announced that rape victims would be given access to specialist legal advice throughout the criminal justice process, fulfilling part of Labour's 2024 manifesto promise to halve violence against women and girls within a decade and fast-track rape cases.

The government's announcement explicitly credits Labour MP Charlotte Nichols for her role in driving the reform. Chronicle Live detailed how Ms Nichols waived her automatic right to anonymity in a Commons speech in March, detailing her ordeal of waiting more than a thousand days to see her case reach court. She spoke publicly about being raped while criticising the then Justice Secretary, David Lammy, for using crime victims as a cudgel to push through reforms in the Courts and Tribunals Bill that limited jury trials. Her attacker was ultimately acquitted at Crown Court, but she subsequently secured compensation by winning a civil case against him. Reacting to the rollout, Ms Nichols told The Mirror that the measures mark a major milestone for survivors who are frequently retraumatised by the legal apparatus.

Charities and victim advocacy groups have offered a mixed response, welcoming the practical improvements while warning of deeper systemic issues. Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis England & Wales, described the initiative as a necessary step forward that mirrors long-standing policy demands from the sector. However, Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman cautioned that while specialist courtrooms are welcome, the Crown Court backlog has grown significantly worse over recent years, meaning that delays could still prevent many complainants from accessing the new facilities in time. Ms Waxman noted that good technology, separate waiting areas, and trauma-informed processes should be the norm across the justice system rather than the exception.

Political friction has also emerged over broader legal reforms. While Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy agreed that tackling trial delays is long overdue, he criticised the government's wider legislative agenda. Mr Timothy questioned why ministers are pursuing restrictions on jury trials if administrative resources are successfully being found to accelerate rape prosecutions, urging the government to get courts sitting throughout the year instead of undermining the right to a trial by jury.

Further actions and implementation phases will roll out across Crown Courts over the next two years, with the priority scheduling system taking effect next month.