Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of criminal court delays on civil proceedings awaiting those judgements.

The Government inherited a record and rising Crown Court backlog, with victims facing intolerable delays for justice. We asked Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. In response the Government is delivering record financial investment in the courts, implementing system efficiencies, and legislating for pragmatic structural reforms to how and where some criminal cases are heard.

Where there are related criminal proceedings, the civil courts already have established case management powers to take account of any resulting delay. Under Practice Direction 23A in the Civil Procedure Rules, parties may apply for a stay on civil proceedings where there are related criminal proceedings, and the common law allows the court to determine that application in light of the particular facts and the interests of justice. These mechanisms mitigate the potential detrimental impact of extended criminal proceedings, ensuring that parties have appropriate access to justice in the civil courts.

The Government keeps the performance of both the criminal and civil courts under continual review and closely monitors the impact of delays across the justice system.