By Jonathan Ley, Founder & CEO, Make Time Count Today
Read the report here:
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/46849/documents/241098/default/
Make Time Count welcomes the Committee of Public Accounts’ Twelfth Report on Crown Court backlogs. Its stark assessment of a system in crisis resonates deeply, confirming the urgent need for change we identified through our own work and research. The report’s diagnosis – record backlogs, eroding trust, failing victims – is disturbingly familiar. My own introduction to the justice system, supporting London Probation, was marked by shock at the inefficiencies hindering rehabilitation. The Committee’s report powerfully validates this reality.
The headline figures are indeed alarming: a backlog exceeding 73,105 cases, devastating delays, especially for victims or serious crime and a remand population at a 50-year peak. This isn’t merely a system under strain; it’s a system fundamentally struggling with inefficiency, compounded by fragmented data across police, courts, prisons, and probation.
However, the crisis runs deeper than just volume. Our own key findings from a recent Innovate UK SMART grant funded project, reveal a systemic absurdity at the heart of the backlog:
- Disproportionate Cost for Minor Outcomes: Our analysis of over 5 million historical court cases starkly shows that 75% of low-level summary offences result in fines or compensation under £250.
- Cost of justice vs. outcome: Despite these minor outcomes, the cost of processing such a case through the courts is staggering. Our research, comparing routes, estimates police plus court costs equate to £4,372 – £4,500 for a simple case. Spending thousands to ultimately issue a sub-£250 fine is not just inefficient, it’s illogical and unsustainable.
- Predictable Inefficiency: Even within the Crown Court, our data indicates a significant portion of cases (12%, potentially rising to over 64% in lower-risk cohorts) conclude with outcomes readily achievable through far less costly Out of Court Resolutions (OoCRs).
This isn’t just about saving money; it’s about freeing up court capacity for serious cases requiring jury trials, reducing the 20+ hours of police time consumed preparing files for minor offences, and avoiding the unnecessary criminalisation of individuals where a rehabilitative OoCR could be more effective.
While the Committee’s report correctly identifies the system’s interconnectedness, awaiting the Leveson Review for long-term solutions risks prolonging the agony. Justice delayed remains justice denied. We must act decisively now.
The report rightly champions an evidence-based, digital-first approach.
Need for Innovation
However, the need for this innovation hasn’t diminished, nor have the powerful findings of our research been invalidated. The question of why we pursue costly court processes for predictable, minor outcomes remains unanswered by the current system.
The challenges laid bare by the report demand bold action, not just continued diagnosis. Make Time Count remains committed. Our existing work facilitates aspects of this vision, and the evidence underscores the urgent need for more sustained innovation.
We urge the MOJ, HMPPS, and CPS to look beyond traditional pathways and engage with proven, data-led technological solutions. Let’s move past the cycle of reports and reviews and implement the practical changes needed to create a smarter, faster, fairer, and more effective justice system. The potential savings and societal benefits are too significant to ignore.
Want to continue the discussion? Get in touch: jonathan.m.ley@maketimecount.today