Court backlogs are impacting police resources, says Herts PCC
Latest figures show more than 79,000 cases are caught in the courts backlog in England and Wales
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Hertfordshire says the court backlogs are tying up officers which could be “on the streets, fighting crime and catching criminals”.
The latest figures show more than 79,600 criminal cases are now caught in the courts backlog across England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Jonathan Ash-Edwards, PCC for Hertfordshire says adding perhaps to to the pressures that are already there in the police force and you know and those pressures are are stretching the force
He said: “It just keep more cases in the system for longer and give the additional work of making sure victims and witnesses are being supported, in addition to all the workplace officers and staff doing to respond to kind of today's cases into today's.
He added: “If policing is able to have less resource tied up in sort of supporting the implications into the criminal justice system, that's resources that can be put on the streets, fighting crime and catching, keeping people safe, being visible in local communities - which is what the public want ultimately.”
The latest data, from September 2025, also shows there has been a huge growth in cases taking two years or more to conclude, and more than 30% of sexual offences have been in the criminal justice system for at least a year.
Mr Ash Edwards says, “There are huge benefits to be had for the entire system of getting to grips with some of the backlogs.
“Victims can see justice being done quicker, offenders being held to account quicker, for those who are found not guilty then they can get a non a not guilty verdict quicker, as well as ensuring that the policing isn't having as many resources tied up in the system.”
Towards the end of last year, the Government announced major reforms aimed at dealing with delays in the justice system.
The plans outlined new ‘Swift Courts’ which won’t be heard by a jury and instead a judge alone for cases with a likely sentence of three years or less heard, which is estimated to take 20% less time.
The Ministry of Justice says this will “fast-track some cases and put the most serious crimes in front of a jury”.