DOZENS of trials were delayed at Winchester Crown Court.

More than a dozen trials were postponed at Winchester Crown Court during a period which saw barristers strike across England and Wales. 

Criminal barristers began an indefinite strike in September 2022 after their action against the Government’s proposal for legal fees intensified. The walkouts ended in October, when members of the Criminal Bar Association, accepted a package of measures. 

Lubna Shuja, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said: "The impact of decades of underinvestment in our criminal justice system is plain to see.

"The latest figures show huge backlogs in our criminal courts and unacceptably long delays for victims and defendants to access justice.

“Unless the Government is willing to take the problem seriously, we will no longer have a criminal justice system worthy of the name." 

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show that of the 34 trials listed at Winchester Crown Court between July and September 2022, 17 were ‘ineffective’, meaning they had to be postponed to a later date. 

This was up from seven over the same period in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, and an increase from 11 in 2014, the earliest year with comparable data. 

Meanwhile, seven trials at Winchester were ‘cracked last year’, meaning when the Crown Prosecution Service drops the case or the defendant pleads guilty and 10 were effective, meaning the trial went ahead as planned. 

The new figures reveal the backlog of crown court cases reached a new high last year. Across England and Wales, the number of outstanding crown court cases grew to their highest rate on record with 62,770 at the end of September, including 252 at Winchester Crown Court. 

However, the MoJ said its latest figures indicate there was a slight reduction in the number of outstanding crown court cases between October and November.

A spokesperson said: "Whilst there was an increase in the crown court backlog during the barrister strikes, we have worked hard to reduce the caseload since.

"We are doing all we can to ensure courts are working at full capacity. Measures such as unlimited sitting days and increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers are helping restore the swift access to justice that victims deserve.”