Legal aid investment to keep cases moving and cut delays for victims

Victims could see swifter justice as a legal aid boost of up to £34 million a year will help strengthen the legal sector, enabling more cases to be heard and driving down the court backlog.

Under proposals published today, barristers undertaking legal aid work will receive an average fee increase of 11 per cent, recognising their vital role in delivering justice and supporting efforts to tackle court delays.

Barristers handling rape and serious sexual offence cases will see fee increases of more than 13 per cent, rising to almost 50 per cent in some guilty plea cases. The changes reflect the complexity of this work and support the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade by helping victims access swifter justice.

This investment – which includes £3.5 million already allocated to preparatory fees to assist with trial readiness – will help ensure criminal legal aid continues to attract and retain talented barristers, strengthening capacity across the legal sector and enabling more criminal cases to be heard. In turn, this will help to cut the court backlog and ensure victims get their day in court.

The whole package will contribute to rebuilding a criminal legal aid sector weakened by years of underinvestment, backing talented legal experts at the heart of the justice system while helping victims and supporting defendants to access the high-quality representation.

Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC MP, said:   

Victims deserve to see justice delivered without unnecessary delay. That’s why we are investing up to £34 million a year in criminal legal aid, supporting the barristers who keep cases moving through the courts and help ensure offenders are brought to justice.

This investment will strengthen the legal aid sector, enable more cases to be heard and help cut the court backlog, ensuring victims receive swifter justice.

The Government is also consulting on higher fees for barristers where defendants enter guilty pleas, and for plea and trial preparation hearings, recognising the crucial work undertaken before a case reaches trial.

Further proposals include fee increases for appeals in the magistrates’ courts and Court of Appeal, committals for sentence, post-sentencing hearings in the Crown Court, and selected pre-trial hearings. The reforms will better reflect the complexity, expertise and preparation these cases demand, while supporting junior barristers and helping to build a stronger, more sustainable pipeline of legal talent.

With more than 80,000 cases in the Crown Court backlog, this investment is a key step towards restoring capacity, keeping cases moving through the courts and delivering swifter justice for victims.

The announcement comes alongside the Courts and Tribunals Bill which will help deliver the pragmatic reforms needed to cut the Crown Court backlog to ensure fairer and faster justice for victims.