The grim reality of the justice system means victims of serious violent or sexual crimes in London today could wait years for their day in court. London has the biggest backlog in England and Wales, with some cases in Croydon Crown Court listed as far ahead as 2029. And it is not an abstract failure. It is a human tragedy unravelling in slow motion, day after day, case after case.
That is why one of the first priorities of this government has been to fix the crisis in our criminal courts. Decades of rising caseloads and underinvestment have pushed the system to breaking point. London has felt this pressure acutely. Too many Londoners are simply not getting the speedy justice that they deserve — with far too many cases taking months, if not years, longer than they should.
