Lords debates Crown Court backlog
21 March 2025
On Thursday 20 March, members of the House of Lords debated the Crown Court criminal case backlog, and the impact of delays on reliability of evidence, experience of victims and fairness of proceedings for defendants.
Debate
Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench), put forward the debate.
This was a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.
Members speaking
Contributing members included:
- Lord Burnett of Maldon (Crossbench), former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
- Lord Faulks (Non-affiliated), barrister and chair of the Independent Review of Administrative Law
- Baroness Levitt (Labour), barrister and former CPS principal legal adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister
- Lord Marks of Henley on Thames (Liberal Democrats), barrister and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Labour), Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice, responded on behalf of the government.
Catch up
Watch and read the debate
Watch on Parliament TV or read the Lords Hansard transcript.
Explore background information
- Find out more about the issues the debate covers in the House of Lords Library briefing.
- Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government.
Image: William Cho / Pixabay
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