By Lucy Caulkett-
Specialist courtrooms for specialist rape and serious sex offences to be rolled out across every Crown Court in England and Wales, as plans to prioritise rape cases in the courts kicks in. The aim is to tackle uncertainty and delays for survivors, with specialist upgrades introduced, including private waiting rooms and entrances for victim. The fresh New approach will put victims front and centre of the criminal justice system, addressing the second ordeal survivors of rape often face due to massive delays in the justice system.
Every Crown Court in England and Wales is to have at least one courtroom specially equipped to deal with rape and serious sexual-offence cases within the next two years. The Ministry of Justice says the programme will put victims’ needs at the centre of the court process while also giving these cases greater priority. The announcement matters because it addresses something that has become increasingly difficult to defend: a justice system in which the passage of time can itself become an obstacle to justice.
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Government figures show that in 2025, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the Crown Court. The government says too many victims withdraw before their cases are heard.
The reforms are therefore about more than new rooms in old court buildings. They are an attempt to change the experience of entering the criminal justice system after sexual violence. Under the new arrangements, specialist courtrooms will include private entrances and waiting areas where possible, helping to prevent victims from having to encounter defendants or their supporters before proceedings begin.
Facilities will also be provided for pre-recorded evidence and for victims to observe sentencing remotely. Court staff will receive trauma-informed training, while a pilot scheme will provide victims with a single point of contact during the court process. Perhaps most significantly, rape and serious sexual-offence trials will be given fixed dates rather than being placed on floating lists, where hearings can be moved at short notice.
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That change goes directly to one of the central complaints about the current system: uncertainty. A victim who has already endured the trauma of reporting an alleged sexual offence can face months or years of uncertainty before reaching court. A fixed trial date does not eliminate delay, but it is intended to remove at least some of the unpredictability surrounding the final stage of the process.
The scale of the problem explains why the announcement has been welcomed by campaigners. Rape Crisis England & Wales described the package as a significant step forward and specifically welcomed measures designed to provide separate entrances and waiting areas, saying these are necessary to prevent survivors from being intimidated or distressed by encountering alleged perpetrators and thei
But there is another story behind the announcement. It is the story of what happens when a justice system takes too long. The government says rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete after reaching the Crown Court in 2025.
That figure represents an average, meaning some cases were resolved more quickly while others took substantially longer. Labour MP Charlotte Nichols has brought that reality into Parliament after waiving her anonymity and speaking publicly about her own experience. She told MPs she waited more than 1,000 days for her case to reach court. Her case illustrates the distance between the formal promise of access to justice and the lived experience of navigating the system.
The reforms also come as the wider Crown Court system struggles with a substantial backlog. That raises the difficult question for ministers of whether can specialist courtrooms solve the problem if the wider system remains under such pressure? The UK government clearly believes specialisation can help.
The Law Commission reached a similar conclusion in its 2025 work on sexual-offence prosecutions, recommending a specialist sexual-offences court operating within the existing court estate, supported by specialist listing practices, trained personnel, appropriate technology and specialist support. The government’s new model reflects many of those recommendations. But there are limits to what courtroom design can achieve.
A separate entrance cannot investigate an allegation. A fixed trial date cannot repair an investigation that has stalled. Trauma-informed training cannot, by itself, eliminate the backlog of cases waiting elsewhere in the system. The government appears to recognise that specialist courts are only one part of a much larger reform programme.
In August, ministers announced that every police force in England and Wales would have specialist rape and sexual-offence investigation teams by December 2027, bringing forward the previous timetable. Earlier this year, the government also announced a national legal-adviser service for rape victims, intended to provide dedicated legal advice during the criminal justice process. The direction of travel is therefore clear: greater specialisation from investigation through to trial.
But the ultimate test will not be the number of specially equipped courtrooms opened. It will be whether victims actually experience a faster, more consistent and more comprehensible route through the justice system.
There is also a constitutional question running alongside the reforms. The government’s wider plans to change the operation of jury trials have attracted criticism from the opposition. Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy welcomed the specialist rape courts but argued that the government should focus on clearing delays without weakening the right to trial by jury.
That disagreement matters because the criminal justice system must balance several principles simultaneously: the rights of defendants, the interests of victims, the independence of juries, the integrity of trials and the need to bring cases to court without unreasonable delay. There is no simple shortcut through those competing demands.
The government’s £23 million programme is therefore best understood not as the end of the problem but as an attempt to redesign one part of a system under considerable strain. The Ministry of Justice says the new specialist courtrooms will be rolled out across every Crown Court within two
The real measure of success will come later and be found in the waiting times, number of trials postponed, and the number of victims who withdraw. And, most importantly, in whether survivors who enter the justice system feel that they are being treated as people rather than simply as files moving through an overcrowded court list.
For years, the argument over rape justice has focused on prosecution rates, conviction rates and court backlogs. The new challenge is more basic.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham (pictured)said: ”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.
Lord Chancellor Alex Norris said: ”Victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt they’ve been left alone facing the criminal justice system for too long. They have been treated as cases to process and not as people to support.
The funding we are announcing today will provide that support that victims deserve – delivering courtrooms that are designed with victim needs in mind and providing specialist training for staff to handle these cases with care. Real action to improve our courts. Real action for victims. Real action to deliver the justice they deserve.
The changes announced today will also see all court staff get trauma-informed training and a trial to give victims of sex offences a single point of contact to ensure their needs are met during the court process.
The new measures also include a new Rape Justice Taskforce, drawing leaders from across the criminal justice system to tackle the rising rate of postponed rape trials and confront the myths that cause victims to withdraw from their own cases.
The changes follow Charlotte Nichols showing immense strength and bravery in coming forward to tell her own story, calling for these crucial measures to support victims and ensure they receive the justice they deserve.
Ciara Bergman, CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales said: ”This important package of measures represents a significant step forward for our justice system, and includes many of the reforms that Rape Crisis England & Wales have been calling for over many years. 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.
We’re particularly pleased to see measures that will improve trial efficiency and ensure survivors are better able to participate in, and observe, proceedings. The recognition that suitable separate waiting areas, entrances and exits are essential to prevent survivors from being intimidated and distressed by the presence of perpetrators and their supporters is also significant. This welcome change is both necessary and long overdue”.
The Ministry of Justice said today’s announcement builds on the Government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and make sure the justice system put victims front and centre.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister announced that by the end of 2027, all police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams, helping to make sure more criminal cases are prosecuted.
Since coming into office, the government has pledged over £1 billion to support victims of violence against women and girls, announced plans to place domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms across every police force in England and Wales, and is rolling out new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to provide victims with protection for as long as needed.
The government has also committed to use every lever at its disposal to drive down the backlog of victims waiting years for justice through the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which is set to return to Parliament in October.
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