Court backlog to rise for decade despite Lammy slashing of jury trials, says MoJ

Justice secretary says only his measures will stop backlog in England and Wales from increasing exponentially

The backlog in criminal courts in England and Wales will continue to rise for nearly a decade before it falls despite radical changes including curtailing jury trials, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice.

The justice secretary, David Lammy, said the government was determined to press ahead with the jury trial changes despite a potential rebellion from Labour MPs, warning that no other measures would stop the backlog from rising exponentially.