England and Wales are introducing specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offence cases, with trials set to receive priority and fixed dates.
The UK government announced on 21 September that every Crown Court in England and Wales will have at least one courtroom specially equipped to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years.
The changes include private waiting rooms and entrances for victims, facilities to pre-record evidence, and technology allowing victims to observe sentencing hearings remotely. Rape and serious sexual offence trials will also be given fixed dates rather than being placed on floating lists.
The Ministry of Justice said rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete after reaching the Crown Court in 2025. The government said the reforms are intended to reduce uncertainty and delays for victims and survivors.
The programme follows a recommendation from the Law Commission’s 2025 review of evidence in sexual offence prosecutions, which supported specialist court arrangements within existing court buildings, alongside trained staff, appropriate technology and specialist listing practices.
The government has also committed to having dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams in every police force in England and Wales by December 2027.
The Guardian editorial argues that specialist courts and improved victim support are a necessary response to long delays, while also warning that implementation will be challenging and that wider court backlogs require attention.
The editorial also refers to the government’s wider target of halving violence against women and girls over a decade, and to recent measures involving victim support and criminal justice reform.
These reforms apply to England and Wales. They do not change the Australian criminal justice system.
Source: The Guardian and UK Ministry of Justice.
