Specialist courts designed to handle cases of rape and other sexual offences are set to be introduced across England and Wales over the next two years, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced. The initiative will ensure that each crown court is equipped with at least one courtroom specifically dedicated to hearing such cases.
The measures, which are projected to cost approximately £23m, have been welcomed by Rape Crisis England and Wales as a "significant step forward" for the justice system. The charity noted that the reforms address a number of requests it has made over many years.
Ciara Bergman, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis England and Wales, stated, "Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims and survivors, which is crucial to securing justice."
Under the new system, funded through the Ministry of Justice budget, court staff will receive "trauma-informed training," and each survivor will be assigned a single point of contact. Furthermore, starting next month, trials will be given a fixed date rather than being placed on floating lists, a change Prime Minister Burnham described as an effort to "rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first."
The government indicated that these changes follow Labour MP Charlotte Nichols' "immense strength and bravery" in publicly sharing her experience of being raped and advocating for reforms to the justice system. Nichols waived her automatic right to anonymity in March when she delivered a Commons speech, detailing a wait of over 1,000 days for her case to reach court.
Earlier this year, the government had also announced that rape victims would be granted access to specialist legal advice throughout the entire criminal justice process.
