Plans are in place for a new crown courtroom to open in Lancashire to help deal with the ever-growing backlog of criminal cases in the county.
The new crown courtroom, which is believed to initially be taking non-trial cases only, is planned to be opened in Burnley Magistrates’ Court, Parker Lane, from Monday, February 5.
It is believed Judge Sara Dodd, who currently sits and hears cases in Burnley Crown Court, will be overseeing the opening of the additional courtroom and will, going forward, sit in the new room at Burnley Magistrates’ Court as a crown court judge, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Burnley Magistrates’ Court will still operate as a lower court, with three magistrates’ courtrooms remaining open for associated hearings.
READ MORE: Huge 2,000 case backlog at Lancashire's crown courts
It is thought the creation of the new crown courtroom will be permanent, as according to a Lancashire Telegraph source, “there is no end date, and it will carry on running”.
This will take the number of crown courtrooms in Lancashire from 13 to 14.
It is hoped the planned extra courtroom will help reduce the backlog of cases waiting to be heard in the crown courts, which currently stands at around 2,000.
Huge cuts to the justice system by the Conservative Government since 2010 have caused the backlog to build, which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and strikes by barristers in 2022.
There are currently nine criminal courtrooms in Preston Crown Court, Ringway; two criminal courtrooms in Preston Crown Court, Sessions House; and two criminal courtrooms in Burnley Crown Court, Hammerton Street.
Additionally to the information above, it is believed that the whole of the Preston Crown Court building at Ringway, will temporarily close from March 22 until April 8 so that essential electrical work can be carried out.
It has not yet been confirmed whether any cases will be affected by this closure and if so, whether they will be adjourned to a different date or moved to a different court.
READ MORE: 77 criminal cases had been unresolved for two years or more
But it is believed that only sentences, mentions and plea hearings will be held within the two-week closure of Preston Crown Court, at either Sessions House, Burnley Crown Court, or the new crown courtroom in Burnley Magistrates’ Court.
A spokesperson for His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) said: “We are exploring opening a temporary crown court room at Burnley Magistrates’ Court to bolster our capacity and hear more criminal cases locally.
"It would help reduce the outstanding caseload and deliver swifter justice to people in Burnley and the surrounding area.”
The news comes as magistrates’ courts across Lancashire continue to fall deeper into crisis due to the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, or RAAC - a lightweight, 'bubbly' form of concrete commonly used in construction between the 1950s and mid-1990s - in many of the buildings.
Blackpool Magistrates’ Court and County Court, which has been closed since November last year because of issues with RAAC, will shut permanently until a new centralised court can be created in the town, at the earliest in 2026.
READ MORE: Backlog of court cases in Lancs still higher than pre-Covid
Preston Magistrates’ Court was also closed, in September 2023, for the same issues with contaminated concrete, but the building has since reopened.
A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson said: “Having considered value for money to the taxpayer, we have decided to close the existing Blackpool Magistrates’ and County Court buildings permanently, also helping to expedite the delivery of the new £300m Blackpool Central scheme.
"We’ll provide the community with a modern, state-of-the-art court building fit for the future from early 2026.
“In the meantime, all hearings will be moved to other court buildings in Lancashire to minimise disruption – supported by the recent re-opening of Preston Magistrates’ Court and the expansion of Lancaster Magistrates’.”
Burnley Magistrates’ Court remains open, as does Blackburn Magistrates’ Court, with these two buildings being the only fully operating magistrates’ courts with cells in the county.
It is thought Lancaster Magistrates’ Court is only dealing with coroners and some civil matters at the moment.
People who break the law must face justice, and the latest figures show crown courts are now dealing with the highest number of cases than at any point since 2019, with 1,000 more cases being heard in November 2023 than in the previous month.
HMCTS has recently been making efforts to recruit more judges, keep Nightingale Courts open and place more investment in court buildings to deliver a modern and effective justice system, including in magistrates’ courts where more than 90 per cent of criminal cases are dealt with.
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