Labour’s Courts and Tribunals Bill has officially passed through the House of Commons for its first time and has now reached the initial Committee Stage.
This bill is intended to reform the existing justice system to ensure that victims across Britain are able to receive fair and swift justice. This is in response to the current state of our system, which is on the brink of collapse and no longer fit for purpose, with Crown Court backlogs having more than doubled since 2019.
If passed into law, this bill will implement a series of measures to address rising backlogs by the end of this Parliament, including:
- Record investment into the justice system required to stabilize the estate.
- Structural reform that will prevent criminals from gaming the system.
- Modernisation that tackles inherited inefficiencies with a tech-first approach.
The bill is progressing through Parliament alongside the Victims and Courts Bill, which is delivering long overdue reforms to protect victims and rebuild their confidence in our justice system.
This is part of the Labour Government’s wider agenda to deliver their vision for the future of our justice system, one that works for victims by providing brave survivors with the 21st-century justice they deserve.
Joining the Bill Committee as Members of Parliament scrutinise the intentions of the Bill, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“Labour inherited a justice system that was continuously failing victims across Britain.
“I know from conversations with Portsmouth people just how emotionally and logistically difficult this has been for both victims and their families.
“Through the Courts and Tribunals Bill, this Government is delivering its vision for a renewed justice system that is able to better protect its victims and deliver them justice sooner. I look forward to playing my part on the Bill Committee as this important legislation continues to be debated for the benefit of Portsmouth people.”
Commenting, David Lammy, Secretary of State for Justice, said:
“A particular kind of silence now echoes through the corridors of our courts. It is not the silence of a jury carefully weighing the evidence, or the hush as a judge delivers their verdict; it is the silence of waiting.
“This Government inherited a justice system close to breaking point from the previous Government, who could and should have reformed it. The consequences of their inaction are clear.
“This bill will drive long-overdue reform to effectively evolve our 20th-century criminal justice system so that it is fit for the 21st century.
“If that service cannot be delivered in a timeframe that allows victims to move on with their lives, the law is not ruling, but failing.”
