Every Crown Court in England and Wales will have at least one courtroom dedicated to hearing rape and serious sexual offence cases within the next two years, under plans announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The rollout of specialist rape courts is intended to tackle what Burnham described as «shamefully low» prosecution rates and the long delays that leave victims waiting years for justice.
Burnham said the changes are «long overdue» and acknowledged that victims have felt let down for too long by a courts system in crisis. The dedicated courtrooms are designed to ensure that rape and serious sexual offence cases are handled by judges and staff with specialist training, and are not repeatedly delayed by competing priorities in the wider criminal justice system.
The announcement follows sustained criticism of the handling of sexual offence cases across England and Wales. Prosecution rates for reported rapes have fallen sharply in recent years, and many victims face waits of several years between reporting an offence and seeing a case concluded. The government has faced mounting pressure from campaigners, legal professionals and victim support groups to introduce structural reforms rather than piecemeal measures.
Under the plans, officials said every Crown Court will have at least one dedicated courtroom set up within two years. The specialist courts are expected to prioritise rape and serious sexual offence cases, reducing the risk that they are repeatedly adjourned or overtaken by other matters. The government believes this focused approach will speed up case progression and improve the experience of victims navigating the justice system.
Burnham said the current situation, in which many victims wait in limbo for years, is unacceptable. He framed the rollout as part of a broader effort to restore confidence in the criminal justice system and to ensure that victims are not deterred from reporting offences because they fear lengthy and traumatic court processes.
The announcement has been welcomed by some victim support organisations, though others have cautioned that specialist courtrooms alone will not resolve the underlying problems. They point to persistent issues including a shortage of qualified prosecutors, backlogs in the courts, and the need for better support services for victims throughout the legal process. The success of the rollout is likely to depend on whether sufficient resources are provided to staff the dedicated courts and to manage the increased throughput of cases.
The plans apply to England and Wales, where the Crown Court system operates under a shared jurisdiction. Officials have not yet confirmed how the specialist courtrooms will be distributed across regions or how cases will be allocated to them. Further details on funding and implementation are expected to be set out in the coming months.
For victims and campaigners, the measure represents a significant shift in approach after years of debate over how to improve outcomes in sexual offence cases. Whether it delivers the promised improvements in prosecution rates and waiting times will be closely monitored as the two-year rollout begins.