Target to cut court backlog cannot be met, says watchdog

The report comes as the Ministry of Justice, police and the courts are trying to reduce the number of offenders in the prison system amid an overcrowding crisis.

One scheme is allowing some offenders out of jail up to 70 days before the end of their sentence – while another is attempting to slow down the rate of newly accused criminals going in.

Officials told the NAO that the prison overcrowding crisis was the most pressing problem in reducing the Crown Court backlog, because there were now 16,000 people in cells waiting for a trial or to be sentenced after being found guilty – a 50-year record.

The watchdog’s verdict will confirm the view of many across criminal justice that the system is in crisis with no clear solution, whoever wins the general election.

Tana Adkin KC, who chairs the Criminal Bar Association which represents barristers, said: “The NAO report confirms that which criminal practitioners have known for years – that the system remains in crisis without a plan for sustained investment, despite the repeated warnings.”

The NAO’s report was scheduled for publication before the general election was called on Wednesday.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The Crown Court sat for over 107,000 days last year, more days than at any point in the last seven years.

“We are also investing more in the system, rolling out remote hearings, extending the use of Nightingale courts and recruiting hundreds of judges to get victims the justice they deserve, and put more offenders behind bars.”