Ever since Rachel Reeves entered No 11 on 5 July 2024, she has made no secret of the need for central government to tighten the proverbial purse strings. While some commentators may be more focused on her money-saving measures announced in the Spring Statement on 26 March 2025, three days earlier the Chancellor announced that she planned to cut government departmental costs by 15% by the end of the decade, and would do so by slashing the Civil Service’s budget.
The prospect of further cuts to a public court system that is already at breaking point will send shivers down the spine of any court user, be they a professional or lay member of the public.
Current court backlogs
Justice delayed is justice denied, and that applies to all parties involved in cases before the family and criminal courts. In early March, the BBC reported that the justice secretary,
