To ask the Minister of Justice (i) for her assessment of delays of cases across all courts; (ii) to detail her plans to speed up the justice system in relation to this; and (iii) for a timeframe of when improvement from her actions can be expected.

Tackling delay is one of the biggest challenges facing the criminal justice system and is a key priority for the Department and relevant justice agencies. However, reducing the time it takes to complete criminal cases is a challenging and complex issue.

Prior to Covid, the Department’s efforts to tackle delay were having a positive effect, with the overall average time to complete a criminal case falling from 169 days in December 2018 to 149 days in March 2020, when lockdowns were first introduced. This reduction was largely driven by improvements in the magistrates’ courts. Based on internal management information, provisional statistics show that the average time taken for Quarter 4 2023-24 was 191 days. This is down from the post–Covid highpoint of 232 days, which was recorded in Quarter 1 2022-23.

However, present demand is increasing, with a rise in the number of cases entering both the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts, and we are continuing to tackle backlogs created due to Covid. Courts are generally disposing of more cases than they are receiving, meaning progress is being made; however, it will still be some time before the system is fully recovered and this will be dependent on the availability of resources to continue to operate at an increased level of throughput.

My Department did not receive funding to address Covid backlogs and currently faces further significant budgetary pressures which will affect our ability to implement initiatives to address delays in the system. There is no doubt the future financial outlook will present challenges to the recovery of the justice system.

In relation to plans to speed up the justice system, the Criminal Justice Board has prioritised a programme of work targeted at reducing avoidable delay within the system; however, the pace and scope of change will be greatly dependent on funding. Improved practices also take time to work through the system and so it is difficult to provide a definitive timeframe within which measurable improvements will be delivered. Nonetheless, I remain determined to reduce avoidable delay across all parts of the justice system.