Vikki Slade

Vikki Slade

Liberal Democrat — Mid Dorset and North Poole

Speaking in the House of Commons on 2 December 2025

Debate

Criminal Court Reform

Contribution

Juries are not the cause of the court backlog; if they were, we would not see similar extended delays in the magistrates courts, which have a record backlog of 361,000 cases. The cause is not just pupillages, but legal advisers in magistrates courts. Given that some of these cases with potentially longer sentences will move to the magistrates courts, what additional investment will go into them so that we do not just see the problem move from the Crown court to the magistrates court and see victims wait just as long there?

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