Every Crown Court in England and Wales is to have a courtroom dedicated to rape and serious sexual offence cases, as Conservatives warn Labour must tackle delays without “undermining” the right to trial by jury.
Specialist courtrooms for rape and other serious sexual offences are to be introduced across England and Wales over the next two years, as the Government attempts to tackle lengthy delays which have left some victims waiting years for their cases to reach trial.
The plans, first reported by the BBC, will see every Crown Court provided with at least one courtroom equipped to deal specifically with rape and serious sexual offence cases.
Victims will be able to watch proceedings remotely and give evidence by video link from a separate room, while private entrances and waiting areas will be provided where court buildings allow.
Court staff will also receive what the Government describes as “trauma-informed training”, and victims will be assigned a single point of contact to guide them through the court process.
The measures are expected to cost around £23 million from the Ministry of Justice budget.
From next month, rape trials will also be allocated fixed dates rather than being placed on floating court lists, in an attempt to reduce the uncertainty faced by victims already enduring lengthy waits for justice.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the reforms were designed to “rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first”.
“For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system,” he said.
“Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice. This is not good enough.”
He added that the reforms were “long overdue” and said the Government would also increase efforts to prevent sexual offences.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of severe pressure on the criminal courts, with delays and backlogs leaving some victims waiting years for cases to be concluded.
Labour MP Charlotte Nichols has spoken publicly about her own experience after waiving her legal right to anonymity earlier this year.
Nichols told the Commons she had waited 1,088 days for her case to reach court, describing every day of the wait as “agony”.
Her alleged attacker was acquitted in the Crown Court. Nichols later brought a civil case against him and was awarded compensation.
“It is because I have been raped that I am as passionate as I am about what it means for a justice system to be truly victim-focused,” she told MPs.
“It is because I have endured every indignity that our broken criminal justice system could mete out that I care what kind of reform will actually deliver justice for survivors and victims of crime more widely.”
The Government said Nichols had demonstrated “immense strength and bravery” by speaking publicly about her experience and campaigning for reform.
Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the announcement as a “significant step forward”.
Chief executive Ciara Bergman said: “Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims and survivors, which is crucial to securing justice.”
But while the Conservatives welcomed action to address the extraordinary delays facing rape victims, they challenged Labour over its separate plans to restrict the availability of jury trials.
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said tackling delays was “long overdue”, but argued ministers should concentrate on getting courts operating at greater capacity and clearing the backlog.
“The fact that victims have been withdrawing their cases because they have taken too long has been a disgrace,” he said.
“Labour need to get courts sitting throughout the year, end the delays and clear the backlog – not undermine our right to a trial by jury.”
The row comes as Labour pursues reforms through the Courts and Tribunals Bill which would restrict jury trials in some cases, a proposal Nichols herself has criticised.
For a Government promising to repair the criminal justice system, the scale of the challenge remains formidable. Specialist courtrooms and greater protection for rape victims have been welcomed by campaigners, but Conservatives argue that new courtroom arrangements alone will not solve a system struggling with long delays and a substantial backlog.
The test for Labour will be whether victims actually see their cases heard more quickly, rather than simply finding themselves waiting in a differently configured courtroom.
