Local News · Salisbury
Salisbury Crown Court named among best in England for cutting case backlog
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Salisbury Crown Court has bucked the national trend by significantly reducing its outstanding case load, according to the latest government figures.
Salisbury Crown Court has been identified as one of the top-performing legal centres in England and Wales for reducing its backlog of cases. New data released by the Ministry of Justice reveals that the local court successfully reduced its number of outstanding cases by 8.5 per cent over the three-month period ending 30 June 2026.
During this quarter, the number of open cases at the Salisbury site fell from 164 to 150. This performance places the court in the top three nationwide for the most effective reduction in case volume during the same period, trailing only Gloucester Crown Court and Manchester Minshull Street, which saw reductions of 14.5 per cent and 10.2 per cent respectively.
The achievement is particularly notable against a backdrop of increasing strain on the national justice system. Across England and Wales, the total number of outstanding Crown Court cases rose to 80,829 by the end of June. This represents a significant climb from the 80,437 cases recorded just three months prior, and a dramatic increase from the 43,403 cases reported six years ago.
The data highlights the growing pressure on courts, with the median age of an open case reaching 203 days—a record high. Furthermore, the number of cases awaiting a hearing for more than a year has hit 23,706, a 22 per cent increase on the previous year. Sexual offence cases continue to represent a significant portion of these long-term delays, accounting for nearly one quarter of cases that have been open for at least 12 months.
While many courts across the country have struggled with rising backlogs—notably in London, where Snaresbrook and Isleworth saw increases of over 150 cases each—Salisbury has remained an outlier. Of the 68 Crown Courts across the country, only 29 reported a decrease in open cases during the second quarter of 2026.
Despite the positive local progress, the 150 outstanding cases remaining in Salisbury serve as a reminder of the continuing challenges facing the judiciary. National debates regarding the future of the system, including proposals to reform jury trials to combat the decades-long backlog, continue to draw criticism from political figures who emphasise the importance of protecting the right to trial by jury.
Source: Salisbury Journal — Salisbury · View original