‘People should not wait two years to be tried’: inside the crown court crisis

‘People should not wait two years to be tried’: inside the crown court crisis

With missing defendants, dodgy video links and crumbling walls, a typical day at Snaresbrook show why 68,125 cases are waiting to be heard in England and Wales

In one of Britain’s busiest courts, a judge is taking the rare step of apologising to a defendant. “I’m so sorry, people should not be waiting over two years to be tried,” he says, addressing the man directly from the bench. “You have my personal apology, please stay in contact with your lawyers.”

The court has just been told that October 2026 is the earliest possible date the case can be heard. “It’s awful,” the judge remarks after confirming the situation with officials. “Who says our system isn’t broken?”

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