The government is establishing dedicated rape and sexual offences courts in every crown court across England and Wales over the next two years. This expansion builds on pilot schemes that began in 2022 at three locations—Leeds, Newcastle, and Snaresbrook—and aims to address chronic delays victims face in accessing justice, with rape prosecution rates remaining significantly low and many victims waiting years for their cases to be heard.

From October, rape trials will receive fixed court dates rather than floating on flexible schedules where proceedings can slip by days, weeks or months. The £23 million package includes private entrances and waiting areas to keep victims separate from defendants, alongside training for court staff to provide a single point of contact for each victim. Whilst legal groups have praised the initiative as overdue and necessary to tackle court backlogs, they have cautioned that the courts may struggle to recruit sufficient barristers and judges to staff the new specialist courtrooms.