Ministers reject specialist rape courts despite manifesto promise
The Bar Council has criticised the government after proposals to introduce specialist rape courts were rejected during committee stage scrutiny of the Courts and Tribunals Bill.
The proposals would have created specialist courts at Crown Courts across England and Wales to fast-track rape cases and reduce delays for victims and witnesses. According to the Bar Council, the move contradicted a commitment made in the Labour Party’s election manifesto, which pledged to establish specialist courts as part of efforts to tackle violence against women and girls.
The amendment was rejected during proceedings before the Public Bill Committee considering the Courts and Tribunals Bill. Sarah Sackman told the committee that the government’s commitment to specialist courts “has not wavered”, but argued that preparatory work was still underway before implementation.
She also stated that specialist courts would not by themselves, make justice timelier for victims. The Bar Council disputed that position, pointing to evidence from Preston Crown Court, where specialist handling of domestic abuse cases reportedly reduced waiting times by 16% over the past year.
The organisation said the specialist listing and management approach demonstrated that targeted court reforms could improve case progression without reducing the right to jury trial. The debate comes amid wider controversy surrounding government proposals to limit jury trials as part of efforts to address the Crown Court backlog, which currently stands at approximately 80,000 cases.
Paul Kohler, a member of the Public Bill Committee, questioned the government’s approach during the committee session. He noted that restricting jury trials had not appeared in Labour’s manifesto and argued that specialist courts represented a more effective solution to delays.
Kirsty Brimelow KC said reforms should focus on improving the speed of justice for victims, complainants and defendants without undermining the constitutional principle of jury trial.
She stated that specialist sexual offences and domestic abuse courts could reduce delays immediately and had already shown positive results in practice. Brimelow added that the government now had an opportunity to revisit the proposals as the Courts and Tribunals Bill progresses following the King’s Speech.
The Bar Council also argued that resources should be directed towards expanding court capacity and maintaining court operations at full capacity, rather than pursuing restrictions on jury trials. The dispute reflects continuing debate within the legal sector over how best to tackle delays in the criminal justice system while balancing efficiency, fairness and constitutional protections.