“to fund unlimited sitting days in the Crown Court next year,” Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said today, setting a clear expectation that if a courtroom has the staff and files ready, it should sit. For victims across the North who have waited months or years, the message is simple: more trials listed, fewer empty days. (gov.uk)

Ministers have agreed a record £2.785bn settlement for courts and tribunals in 2026/27, including £2.498bn to run the service and £287m for repairs and digital kit. Crucially, the deal locks in commitments through to 2028/29, funds magistrates’ courts to their highest operational capacity, and lifts annual limits in the Crown Court. The Immigration and Asylum Chamber is set for up to 26,000 sitting days, with civil courts also due a funding lift. (gov.uk)

What does that mean on our patch? Ministry of Justice figures published last year show serious pressure points: Manchester Minshull Street had 2,311 outstanding cases as of 31 March 2025; Leeds 2,086; Preston 2,032; Newcastle 1,995; Sheffield 1,930; Manchester Crown Square 1,755; Liverpool 1,765; Teesside 1,401; Bradford 1,472. These are the queues the new money must shorten. (shropshirestar.com)

Timeliness has been uneven, too. The Criminal Bar Association highlighted that in spring–summer 2025, remanded defendants faced an average 265 days from charge to conclusion in Greater Manchester versus 166 days on Merseyside, underlining how local capacity and listing practices shape outcomes. (criminalbar.com)

Today’s announcement lands against a national backlog now reported at more than 80,000 criminal cases, with sitting days due to rise to around 113,000 next year. Senior judges and practitioners have welcomed the direction of travel, while warning the system needs people, courtrooms and cells to match the rhetoric. (theguardian.com)

Conditions on the ground matter. A Law Society survey last autumn cited asbestos, mould and even “maggots raining down”, and a £1.3bn maintenance deficit holding hearings back. (theguardian.com)

The National Audit Office has already warned the previous ambition to cut the Crown Court backlog to 53,000 by March 2025 was “no longer achievable”, with prison capacity now one of the biggest obstacles to clearing cases. HMCTS has also estimated a court estate maintenance backlog of around £1bn. (nao.org.uk)

Reform is coming alongside cash. Ministers say investment must pair with modernisation, and Sir Brian Leveson’s review has proposed routes for judge-only trials in tightly defined circumstances, including complex fraud and in cases where defendants could elect with judicial consent. (gov.uk)

But stripping back juries is no quick fix. Institute for Government analysis reported by the Financial Times suggests curbing jury trials might save only 7–8% of Crown Court time, with judge-only trials yielding 1.5–2.5%. (ft.com)

For readers in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle and Teesside, the test will be practical: more judges, recorders and staff in post; reliable listing; and courtroom doors that actually open. The headline deal is welcome. The verdict will be delivered in the North, one trial at a time.