A sweeping overhaul of how rape and sexual offence cases are heard is set to reach every Crown Court in England and Wales, after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the nationwide roll-out of specialist courts.
Under the plan, officials said each Crown Court will have at least one courtroom dedicated to trying rape and serious sexual offence cases within the next two years.
As part of the changes, victims will be offered a private entrance and a private waiting room to avoid contact with the defendant. Survivors already have the right to request these measures, but their availability has often depended on what facilities a court can provide on the day.
Court staff will also receive what the government described as “trauma-informed training”, and each survivor will be assigned a single point of contact to guide them through proceedings.
From October, rape trials will be given a fixed hearing date instead of being placed on floating lists, a shift Mr Burnham said is designed to “rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first.”
Announcing the reforms, the government praised Labour MP Charlotte Nichols for what it called her “immense strength and bravery” in speaking publicly about being raped and urging action to tackle a system struggling with delays.
‘Important milestone’
In March, Ms Nichols waived her automatic right to anonymity to deliver a Commons speech in which she described waiting more than 1,000 days for her case to reach court.
She said the package of measures amounted to a “hugely important milestone” and would improve the experience of people who are “all too often retraumatised by seeking justice.”
“I’m proud that substantive meaningful change has come from waiving my anonymity to speak about my own experiences, and I can’t tell you how much the support of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor means to me, as I know the difference these measures would have made for me and for so many of the survivors I have worked with in recent years,” Ms Nichols said.
Changes long overdue
Mr Burnham said victims had been failed for years by delays and low outcomes in rape cases. “For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system. Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice.
“This is not good enough. That’s why we are making major changes to rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first. This includes rolling out specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sex offences.
“These changes are long overdue and will make a significant difference, but focusing on prosecution alone will not be enough. So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place.”
Rape Crisis England and Wales said the reforms marked a “significant step forward for our justice system” and would deliver several changes the organisation has campaigned for over many years.
Its 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.”
The Conservative Party also described efforts to cut delays in criminal rape trials as “long overdue”, while urging Labour to drop broader plans to restrict jury trials that were announced under Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: “The fact that victims have been withdrawing their cases because they have taken too long has been a disgrace.
“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.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can access helplines here.
