‘People should not wait two years to be tried’: inside the crown court crisis

Snaresbrook crown court in east London is pristine on the outside, but crumbling on the inside. Photograph: Ian Macpherson London/Alamy

In one of Britain’s busiest courts, a judge is taking the rare step of apologising to a defendant. “I’m so sorry, people should not be waiting over two years to be tried,” he says, addressing the man directly from the bench. “You have my personal apology, please stay in contact with your lawyers.”

The court has just been told that October 2026 is the earliest possible date the case can be heard. “It’s awful,” the judge remarks after confirming the situation with officials. “Who says our system isn’t broken?”