Moreover, the percentage of cases in the crown court backlog unresolved for a year or more has reached a fresh high of 29%, according to the criminal courts statistics quarterly to March 2023, published last week.
The backlog fell 0.4% to 62,235 from 62,511 in the same quarter in 2022.
The family court is also facing severe delays, with children having to wait nearly a year to find out who they will be living with long term. Private children’s law cases, which cover child arrangements, took an average of 47 weeks to conclude, according to the family court statistics quarterly, up almost four weeks on the same period in 2022. In 40% of cases, neither party was represented.
Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: ‘Restoring early legal advice for family cases would mean fewer cases would go to court. Instead, solicitors could assist negotiated settlements, refer clients to mediation and better manage client expectations.’
