We are calling time on the justice system of the past
Deputy Prime Minister Rt Hon David Lammy MP sets out his vision for the future of the courts at Microsoft’s AI tour.
Political content removed
Thank you, very much Darren.
It’s very good to be here –
Especially after returning from the AI conference in India last week,
Where I saw firsthand how AI is supporting human judgement –
To make better use of limited time and resources,
Which matters hugely for public services across our country.
Recently I visited the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto.
It’s a large, modern building.
Digital by design.
Purposefully paperless.
With judge-only trials handing down quick and fair justice for summary and some more serious offences.
It’s efficient.
Orderly.
And above all, it works.
And walking through the courthouse, I had an uncomfortable realisation:
I felt less like a visitor from another country –
And more like one from another time…
Catching a glimpse of what could be:
A vision of justice designed for the world as it is, not as it once was.
And I think that is where technology comes in.
It can help us to smash through delays…
Cut complexity…
And free up people to do what they do best.
We are of course already using AI to unleash the potential of our staff,
Including through Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot –
Of which the Ministry of Justice has been one of the fastest growing users across government.
And last year, we piloted an AI tool in the Probation Service – Justice Transcribe.
It records meetings between officers and offenders…
Removing the need for handwritten notes to be typed up later,
So staff can concentrate on turning offenders’ lives around. That’s what they want to do.
The results have been transformational:
Over 150,000 meetings transcribed,
And more than 25,000 hours of time saved.
We’re testing transcription in the courts and tribunals based on the same technology –
And in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, some judges are using it to help formulate notes and write remarks.
We’re also piloting AI for legal advisors and district judges in the Magistrates’ Courts –
To speed up case progression by transcribing material, and summarising their judgments.
I want to see more AI initiatives like these.
So, we are going to invest more in our in-house Justice AI Unit –
A specialist team within my department,
Forward-deployed to the frontline,
Working with staff to tackle the challenges they face.
Over £12 million in additional funding in the next financial year will expand our AI capabilities,
Putting this powerful tool, finally, into the hands of staff.
But we’re going to go even further…
Strengthening our relationship with Microsoft and others…
Piloting the solutions of UK-based start-ups…
Harnessing industry top talent to work more closely with us…
And launching a Justice AI academy and fellowship programme –
So that we can bring in the best graduates and AI engineers…
Creating an unprecedented partnership between the public and private sectors –
One which can revolutionise a justice system in desperate need of renewal.
We face an uncomfortable truth:
The world has changed – and the justice system has not.
Crime today is different in scale and complexity.
Police are making more arrests –
Up 10 percent since 2019.
A single case can now involve tens of thousands of messages, images and hours of video –
Requiring review, and much of it subject to disclosure, and testing in court.
Parliament over the last years is putting more laws on the statute book…
Over 3,000 new criminal offences have been created since 1997…
Including for sexual crimes –
Reflecting the fact that as a society we now, rightly, recognise that these are serious offences, which must be confronted.
Serious violence and serious sexual offences are also reported at higher levels.
Criminal networks are more technologically sophisticated, than ever before…
I saw this up close when I was Foreign Secretary…
They are more organised than ever before.
The National Crime Agency estimates that almost 60,000 people in the UK are involved in organised crime.
The results of all this are clear to see:
Trials are longer, trials are more complex, and more demanding today than ever before.
Sadly, defendants are not produced on time, too often.
Lawyers are tied up in trials that overrun.
Delays have become normalised.
At the same time, sentence lengths have risen sharply.
Prisons now hold far more offenders than they were designed to –
Stretching staff, safety, and rehabilitation to its limits.
Too little has been done to rise to these challenges –
And to reform the justice system so that it can react.
And that is what we now have to do.
That process now requires intention and leadership.
Officials, of course, would have showed [the previous Government] the doom graphs of prisons on the point of exploding.
They would have told them the consequences of inaction:
Police unable to make arrests.
Courts unable to send criminals into prison.
A total breakdown of law and order.
Officials would have showed them the graphs in our courts, too.
The average victim today waits over 250 days to see justice done.
For rape cases, it is a staggering 423 days.
These are not abstract statistics,
They mean lives on hold –
They mean jobs postponed, relationships strained, trauma prolonged.
We inherited a justice system on the point of collapse in every arena.
And it falls to us to fix it.
To reform the justice system so that it can react.
Founded on the progressive principles that have underpinned Britain’s criminal justice system for centuries.
But shaped with the realism of recognising that this era requires new structures to produce justice that is swift and is fair.
My approach across the justice system is threefold:
First, investing – and yes that means money - so that it has the resources it needs to function properly.
Second, reforming – so that it is able to deliver faster, fairer justice for the public.
And third, modernising – so that it is more efficient at producing the outcomes that victims deserve.
And let me thank Sir Brian Leveson hugely…
For giving me the template that I’m sharing with you today…
And for getting us to this point.
Funding is the starting point.
And this Government has shown that we are prepared to invest.
We are building 14,000 new prison places –
So that we have space to protect the public from dangerous offenders.
We’ve already delivered 2,900 places since taking office,
Including 1,500 at HMP Millsike in East Yorkshire, opened this time last year.
And as we speak, 5,000 new places are under construction across the country.
And we’re investing more in probation than any previous Government,
With up to £700 million of additional investment by 2028/29 –
And funding to recruit 1,500 new trainee probation officers,
So that we can manage more offenders safely in the community.
We are boosting court maintenance – many of our buildings are in desperate need of repair -
Funding to almost £150 million for the next financial year,
Improving the resilience and condition of the court estate,
Including making four COVID-era Nightingale courts permanent.
And ensuring the courts keep pace with rapid advances in technology –
Including opening a flagship criminal and civil court in central London next year.
We are investing £550 million over the next three years in victim services –
The largest ever support package on record…
So victims get the help they need to rebuild their lives.
And today I can announce:
We will fund unlimited sitting days in the Crown Court next year,
This will be the highest number ever funded in the history of our country.
We will also fund the Magistrates’ Courts to hear as many cases as we estimate the system can deliver –
Backed up by funding to recruit and train more magistrates to meet demand,
And a national campaign to boost the ranks of our magistracy…
Increasing its size to 21,000 by 2029.
Together, this will enable the criminal courts to get through more work than ever before…
…and of course it means victims get justice as quickly as possible.
It is part of a record £2.78 billion settlement for the courts and tribunals over the coming year,
Which includes £287 million for the fabric of the estate itself –
Delivering more vital repairs and digital upgrades to court buildings up and down the country.
I can also confirm that we have reached an unprecedented multi-year funding settlement,
Which will, for the first time, give the courts the long-term stability to plan ahead.
All this represents an incredible investment in the future of our justice system.
And I’m very proud to be the Secretary of State delivering this transformation.
As we move into reform and modernisation,
I am clear that each part of the system deserves the requisite attention.
Over the coming months,
I will set out more detail in each area.
But today, I want to focus specifically on the courts.
The challenge could not be starker.
In 2019, there were around 38,000 Crown Court cases waiting to be heard.
Today, that number has skyrocketed to almost 80,000 cases.
And even with investment I have outlined,
Sadly it could rise to 116,000 by 2029.
Behind the figures are real people.
People like Katie, who was repeatedly abused by her former partner.
She reported him to the police in 2017,
And he was later charged with a number of offences,
Including actual bodily harm and rape.
But Katie then faced an agonising wait for justice –
And her world collapsed.
She became increasingly isolated.
Her mental health declined.
And she lost her job.
It wasn’t until October 2024 that her partner was found guilty on three charges –
That was a staggering 7-year wait for justice.
We cannot allow victims’ lives to be left in limbo like this,
And we must recognise that justice delayed is justice denied.
These interminable waits mean too many victims pull out of the justice process –
Understandably prioritising their own wellbeing and mental health over getting the justice they deserve.
That leaves offenders unpunished,
Unleashed to offend again,
Creating yet more victims.
So it’s a vicious cycle.
Historically, the system has focused on defendants on the one hand, and prosecutors on the other –
Often at the expense of victims.
The previous Labour Government did a huge amount of work to try and rebalance this:
The Victims’ Commissioner as a voice for victims,
A Victims’ Code to heighten awareness of victims’ rights.
And since taking office again in 2024, we have put victims first:
Committing over half a billion to victims’ services.
Blocking police from routinely accessing private therapy notes in all but exceptional circumstances.
Strengthening the rules on when a victim’s sexual history can be raised in court…
So fewer victims feel like their own credibility is on trial…
And making Victim Liaison Officers available to support victims while they wait to get to court.
But faced with a record and rising backlog in the Crown Court,
The most important step we can take to support victims is to speed up the justice process –
And make sure they get the swift justice that should be the promise of our system.
With the independent review of the criminal courts,
We have begun the process of reform –
To get justice moving again.
When I set out my intention to act on Sir Brian Leveson’s review,
I was clear about what is needed:
More cases staying in the Magistrates’ Courts,
And a new ‘Swift, Bench Division’ of the Crown Court –
For cases with a likely sentence of up to three years,
Where judges alone will determine the verdict –
A change the review predicts will reduce trial times by at least 20 percent,
And which Sir Brian believes will be actually much higher.
This will not diminish the role of juries –
They will remain, and must remain, the cornerstone of our justice system.
But as I have already set out,
Justice now takes longer than ever before.
And as Sir Brian makes clear,
Jury trials now take twice as long as they did 25 years ago.
And we should remember that, since Magna Carta, no part of our justice system has stood still.
Governments of all stripes have adjusted where cases are heard –
To meet the needs of their time.
The Crown Court as we know it today was only created the year before I was born, in 1971.
It’s obviously a very important institution –
But not an immutable one.
And let us not forget governments have changed the threshold of crimes going before juries before…
Margaret Thatcher reclassified crimes –
Including taking a motor vehicle without authority…
And raised the threshold for criminal damage…
So that they would no longer be subject to juries at all.
And what we’re proposing changes the threshold for juries,
It does not change the fundamental right to a fair trial –
Which remains absolute.
But there is no automatic right to a trial by jury.
And in the current system only 3 per cent, in fact, of criminal trial cases currently go before a jury…
The vast majority of cases are already heard – fairly – by magistrates, without a jury.
And following our changes,
Around three-quarters of trials in the Crown Court will still be heard by a jury –
Including the majority of youth cases serious enough to go to the Crown.
And I will soon publish a Bill to put these reforms into action.
Change won’t happen, of course, overnight.
But here’s the reality:
If we do nothing at all,
The Crown Court backlog will rise to around 200,000 cases by 2035.
With the investment I’ve announced, it comes down to roughly 174,000.
If we reform, it falls to about 87,000.
And if we make the courts more efficient, we can really bear down on the caseload.
And doing all three is how we turn the corner on the rising Crown Court backlog,
Which is my aim by the end of this Parliament –
So that we can restore faith in a justice system that delivers for the people it serves.
As the author of the Lammy Review, which I was asked to do by then Prime Minister, David Cameron…
I am acutely aware of differential outcomes within our justice system.
If justice is to command confidence,
It must be transparent as well as timely.
So, we are working with the judiciary towards greater openness and transparency.
Through the Sentencing Act, we have already taken a major first step:
Once implemented, it will mean that for the first time in the Crown Court, victims will be able to request a free copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks –
Giving them a clear explanation of how and why the sentence was reached without having to attend open court.
But I am clear that this is only the beginning of the journey we’re on.
Creating accurate transcripts is time-consuming and costly,
So I want to explore how we can use technology to make it quicker and cheaper –
To cut costs for victims more broadly…
And prevent them having to wait lengthy periods to understand the judgement.
Judges in the new Swift Courts will also explain their verdicts in open court,
And all Magistrates’ Courts will have audio recording,
Putting the decision-making process on record.
In the Crown Court, broadcasting sentencing remarks has shone a light on the criminal justice process.
But I want to build on this success, so I’m working closely with the Lady Chief Justice –
To agree where we can go further in the pursuit of swift, fair and open justice.
The third element crucial to renewing justice is modernisation:
How we bring our centuries old system into the here and now –
To save time and reduce delays.
The recently published second part of the independent review of the criminal courts focused on efficiency,
Which Sir Brian Leveson has examined with his characteristic attention to detail –
And the Government is incredibly grateful as I say, for that work.
He considered the way cases are “listed” –
Essentially the way courts schedule work –
When a case will be heard…
Which judge will hear it…
How long it should take…
And where it will be heard.
When listing works well, cases move smoothly.
When it doesn’t, they are delayed or cancelled –
Wasting time and causing stress for everyone involved.
In some parts of the country they use a process called Blitz Courts,
Where similar cases are listed together over short periods to concentrate court resources.
They support timely decision-making by all parties,
Including making sure that, where a defendant intends to enter a guilty plea, it comes earlier.
At the discretion of judges, this approach is used regularly across the country,
It is one Sir Brian endorses –
And the Government agrees.
So we will enable more Blitz Courts.
Unlimited sitting days will be key to delivering them.
Beginning in April 2026, Blitz Courts in London will focus on cases involving assaults on Emergency Workers,
Of which sadly there were over 2,000 prosecutions last year in the capital alone.
And then the Judiciary will consider other offences,
Such as possession of drugs and commercial burglary –
To clear older cases sitting in the system,
And make sure victims get the justice they need.
Sir Brian also recognises the need for greater consistency in listing,
Which, as things stand, is done differently across the country–
Creating inconsistencies.
The responsibility for this process rightly of course sits with the judiciary,
But the Government has a responsibility to support them in that endeavour.
Fulfilling Sir Brian’s recommendation…
…So today I can announce that the Lady Chief Justice will publish a new National Listing framework –
This unprecedented move will clarify the listings process,
Setting consistent principles for how cases are listed for the very first time,
And ending what many victims justifiably view as a postcode lottery.
This will ensure that, no matter where they are in the country,
Victims can expect their cases to be listed in similar ways…
And the most serious cases –
Such as rape and sexual offences…
Will be treated with consistency and urgency that they deserve…
And get swift justice.
Sir Brian’s review also looked at how we can use technology.
Too many court functions are still carried out using basic tools… While this isn’t quite the legal system described in Dickens’ Bleak House,
It isn’t a million miles away from the infamous case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce either –
With too much paperwork,
And procedural inertia.
Sir Brian recommends a digital approach –
To bring the system into the 21st century.
So, I can confirm today that we will pilot a new AI listing assistant for judges.
J-AI will process all the information and data available to the judiciary –
And help them to make more intuitive listing decisions:
To flag cases that may need court action to help them progress…
To estimate time needed for each case to help efficient scheduling…
And to identify opportunities to list additional cases.
It is based on technology already being used in the NHS to speed up processes and cut waiting times.
If the pilot is successful, we will begin a national rollout as soon as possible –
To take us from local listing, done on basic spreadsheets…
To a national and intelligent listing process –
One that delivers swifter justice for victims.
Sir Brian has also considered the use of online court proceedings.
How a hearing is conducted is rightly a matter for the judiciary –
But our job is to make sure they have the tools to deliver justice as swiftly, and accessibly, as possible.
While Sir Brian recommends maintaining the presumption for in-person trials,
He believes more hearings should be undertaken remotely.
The Government agrees, and that is why we’re investing in reliable, high-quality technology for our courts and tribunals.
And along with HMCTS, we are supporting the work led by the senior judiciary to introduce refreshed judicial guidance.
With this government, there will be more video hearings in the Crown and Magistrates’ Courts than ever before,
Saving time and making the system more flexible –
So that it can get through more cases more quickly…
And deliver swifter outcomes for victims.
More remote hearings will help to alleviate pressure on the Prisoner Escort & Custody Service (so-called PECS),
This does a vital job…
But late arrivals can cause chaos –
With cases held up, or adjourned…
Wasting court time, and frustrating victims, witnesses and judges.
Getting this right is, frankly, basic.
And there is an onus on everyone – police, prisons, courts, and PECS – to make sure that we do this.
Our recently passed Sentencing Act will help ease this problem –
Because less crowded prisons will make the process easier for everyone involved.
But we ’ve got to go further.
Which is why, as Sir Brian recommends, we will improve how we communicate and share data –
To make sure we have the right resources in the right place at the right time.
And we’ll establish a new oversight body, chaired by ministers –
To monitor PECS more closely –
So that we can act where the Service isn’t meeting expectations.
But we’ll go even further still.
To make sure prisoner escort vans get where they need to be as swiftly as possible…
We will build on schemes in Manchester, Bristol, Salford, and Nottingham –
Allowing prisoner vans to fast-track getting offenders to court by using bus lanes to avoid traffic.
By working with the Department for Transport,
On ways to highlight to local authorities the powers they already have to allow PECS vans to use bus lanes…
And in London, where traffic regularly holds up trials….
I can today announce we have agreed with Transport for London to run a pilot on key routes in the capital…
I discussed this with the Mayor of London yesterday.
This will trial a number of innovative approaches –
Including PECS vehicles being able to use the same technology that switches traffic lights green as emergency vehicles approach,
So they can get through traffic more quickly.
And we will continue working with TfL to ensure prisoner transport is as efficient as possible across the capital –
Cutting journey times and boosting reliability,
So that victims aren’t left waiting around for justice.
Finally, when cases make their way through the system,
Sir Brian recommends the greater use of Case Progression Officers to speed up the process:
These are specialist staff focusing solely on progressing cases…
With delegated powers to manage tasks that would otherwise sit with judges:
Granting extensions,
Approving live video links,
And appointing advocates to cross-examine.
Just as nurse practitioners free up doctors to focus on complex clinical decisions,
They ensure the procedural groundwork is done properly –
So judicial time is reserved for what only a judge can do: exercise judgement.
Already piloted in a small number of courts, these officers, known as Case Co-ordinators, have shown promising results…
So we will expand them to all Crown Court centres –
To keep cases moving and make sure victims get swifter justice.
Alongside changes to the criminal justice system,
We are also modernising the civil courts,
Investing over £50 million to continue digitalising the County Court,
And more than £20 million for a new digital system in the High Court –
To meet the needs of our world leading Business and Property Courts,
Which support the UK’s £8.9 billion legal service trade surplus.
But this isn’t just about big business –
It’s about practical outcomes for the public, too.
Over a million claims have now been issued on our digital services for making money claims and damages claims.
Cases consistently progress three times quicker through their early stages with these user-focused services.
And we are working closely with the judiciary…
To develop new rules…
So online systems are simple to use, accessible, and fair.
We are also looking at how digital tools can open up access for those who might otherwise be shut out…
Helping people understand their rights…
Setting out their issue clearly…
Crucially, without having to set foot in a courtroom…
And reducing the stress that often comes with navigating the system.
Lawtech is central to all of this…
We can be proud that the UK is leading the charge –
44 percent of European lawtech start-ups are based here in the uk.
In 2019, we had around 110 lawtech ventures –
Today, that’s more than trebled.
And we have no intention of slowing down.
We are making sure the conditions are right for lawtech to thrive.
Because from digital tools that reduce administration,
To AI-assisted case analysis to help legal teams identify key issues more quickly,
It is enabling lawyers to do more of what they do best:
Applying their judgement,
Weighing up the facts,
And delivering fair outcomes.
That’s why today I am announcing continued funding of £1.5m a year for the next three years to support the sector to expand even further –
And make sure the UK continues to be at the frontier of lawtech.
When I started this speech, I talked about walking into the courthouse in Canada and feeling like a time traveller,
As though I had stepped into a different era of justice –
With a system that works for the people who use it.
Victims in our country have faced unacceptable waits for justice –
The court backlog has clearly become far too large,
And delays have become far too long,
Today, we are calling time on that system…
And consigning it to the past.
From our huge investment in the courts,
To our comprehensive reform programme…
…and our plans to use technology to turbocharge how justice is done…
I’m glad the Ministry of Justice is leading the way across government.
We will renew the system after years of decline –
So that it is serious about justice as it exists today,
And once again we’re able to deliver the swifter outcomes that victims should be able to expect…
And have always deserved.
Thank you, very much indeed.