The UK government has announced plans to roll out specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offences across every Crown Court in England and Wales over the next two years. Prime Minister Andy Burnham introduced the initiative to address "shamefully low" prosecution rates and the lengthy waits many survivors endure for justice, acknowledging that victims have been "let down" by the criminal justice system. The measures form part of the government's commitment to rebalance the scales of justice and prioritise victim support.

The specialist courtrooms will provide survivors with private entrances, separate waiting areas, and access to facilities for pre-recording evidence and observing sentencing remotely. Court staff will receive trauma-informed training, and each survivor will be assigned a single point of contact throughout proceedings. The initiative is expected to cost approximately £23 million from the Ministry of Justice budget, and from October, rape trials will receive fixed court dates rather than being placed on floating lists to improve trial efficiency. The measures have been welcomed by Rape Crisis England & Wales as "necessary and long overdue".