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Safeline Responds to Government Court Reforms
The government has confirmed that jury trials will be scrapped for offences carrying a likely sentence of less than three years, as part of a sweeping overhaul of the justice system aimed at tackling record delays.
The government has announced major reforms to the criminal justice system, confirming that jury trials will be removed for offences carrying a likely sentence of less than three years. The changes, introduced by Justice Secretary David Lammy includes the creation of new “swift courts”. This change designed to ease the unprecedented backlog that has left victims waiting years for their cases to be heard.
Under the plans, serious offences such as rape, murder and robbery will continue to go before a jury. Volunteer community magistrates, who already oversee the majority of criminal cases, will take on additional responsibilities in an effort to speed up justice. In June 2025, the Law Society noted that the Magistrates Courts had a backlog of 310,304 cases.
In his statement to Parliament, Lammy announced that new ‘swift courts’, with a judge sitting alone will handle cases with a likely sentence of three years or less. The judge-only process is estimated to take 20% less time than a jury trial.
The reforms follow a leaked proposal that would have ended jury trials for most offences with sentences of up to five years. Lammy has stepped back from that position, but warned that without intervention, court delays will continue to climb. Current projections show the backlog could reach 100,000 cases by 2028.
This means that a suspect charged today may not reach trial until 2030. A delay that is already contributing to six in ten rape victims withdrawing from the criminal justice process.
Safeline: “Victims are being traumatised all over again”
At Safeline, we are seeing the human impact of these delays every day. Our clients, many of whom have endured the most severe trauma, are now experiencing long waits, repeated cancellations, and years of uncertainty in their pursuit of justice.
In response to the government’s announcement, Neil Henderson, Safeline CEO, said:
“The Lord Chancellor must do something to reduce the time it takes for victims of sexual abuse to get justice. The average waiting time for Safeline clients is now 36 months from reporting to trial, up 12 months from 2024. It is a shocking state of affairs.”
Trial dates are regularly being cancelled with little or no notice. In some cases minutes before a hearing is due to begin. Court listings are now stretching into 2028, leaving victims in limbo for years. We are currently supporting a female rape survivor who reported her assault in April 2023. Her trial has just been cancelled and rescheduled for April 2028. If it finally proceeds, Safeline will have supported her for five years before she steps into a courtroom.
“Why should victims have to wait so long to get justice for some of the most violent crimes in society?”
Delays are traumatising victims
The consequences of the criminal justice backlog are profound:
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Psychological harm is worsening. Long waits force survivors to live in a state of suspended trauma. Being denied timely justice is, in itself, another layer of harm — a secondary trauma.
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Victims are leaving the justice system. Nationally, the attrition rate has risen to 70%. That means 7 in 10 rape victims do not see their case reach a conclusion.
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Offenders are not being held accountable. Perpetrators of violent crimes are walking away without consequence, putting the wider public at risk.
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Support services are under growing strain. Safeline’s Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVAs) are supporting victims for years instead of, what used to be, months. Despite this immense pressure, Safeline will never withdraw support from those who need us. But this extended involvement comes with additional costs. The Ministry of Justice should recognise these costs and provide support for us to help victims get justice.
Safeline’s stance
While we recognise the need for urgent change within the courts, Safeline firmly believes that all sexual violence cases should remain jury trials. Victims face unique challenges when giving evidence. Many legal professionals are not sufficiently trauma-informed and may be influenced by common rape myths or misunderstandings about victim behaviour.
“Jury trials are critical to ensuring justice is fair and properly administered for victims of sexual abuse.”
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