New Lord Chancellor vows swift action to slash Crown Court backlog

During the inauguration of England and Wales’s senior legal officers, Lord Chancellor Alex Norris declared an ambitious agenda to cut the Crown Court backlog, which Ministry of Justice data shows reached 80,819 cases by June’s end, nearly double since 2020. He pledged to uphold judicial independence, improve security for judges, and support broader institutions such as policing, the NHS and one outlet. The event also marked the swearing-in of Attorney General Ellie Reeves and Solicitor General Andy Slaughter, with Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr welcoming the new team.

Bar Council chair Kirsty Brimelow warned of overcrowded prisons and chronic delays, urging immediate action. Norris’s appointment follows the government’s plan to release thousands of prisoners to ease prison capacity pressures.