Dear Penny

The Justice Secretary asserted on the Today Programme on 2 December 2026 that “there are no significant backlogs in the magistrate court system”.

I was surprised to hear such a strident declaration from the Justice Secretary, particularly in light of comments made on 25 September by Tom Franklin, Chief Executive of the Magistrates’ Association:

“Today’s criminal court statistics paint a depressing picture of increasing backlogs in the criminal courts, with the crown court backlog at a record 78,329 cases, and the magistrates’ court backlog standing at 361,027 – also a record.”

As the nation’s official statistics authority, can you confirm if the Justice Secretary was correct to state that there are no significant backlogs in the magistrate court system?

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

Max Wilkinson MP
Member of Parliament for Cheltenham
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs

 

Related links

Penny Young to Max Wilkinson MP – magistrate court statistics