Independent report

Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Part 1

The Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, chaired by Sir Brian Leveson, has published part 1 of the report.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Details

The Lord Chancellor commissioned Former President of the Queen’s Bench Division, Sir Brian Leveson, to carry out an independent review into the criminal courts. Specifically, the review considered 2 key themes, which are outlined in the Terms of Reference (ToR) as follows:

  • Reform: how the criminal courts could be reformed to ensure cases are dealt with proportionately, in light of the current pressures on the Crown Court
  • Efficiency: how they could operate as efficiently as possible. This should include consideration of the processes of partner agencies where they impact the criminal courts

The review has published part 1 of the report.

The Independent Review can be contacted by email: independentreviewcriminalcourts@justice.gov.uk.

Updates to this page

Published 9 July 2025
Last updated 9 July 2025 show all updates
  1. Welsh version updated

  2. Easy read version added

  3. First published.

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