The United Kingdom Government has announced plans to introduce specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offence cases across England and Wales, in a move aimed at reducing delays and providing greater support and privacy for survivors.
Under the new programme, every Crown Court in England and Wales will have at least one courtroom specially equipped to handle rape and serious sexual offence cases within the next two years, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The government said the initiative would be backed by a multimillion-pound investment and would change how sexual offence cases are handled within the criminal justice system.
Among the measures are private entrances and waiting rooms for victims, designed to reduce the possibility of survivors encountering defendants or their supporters within court premises.
The specialist facilities will also include technology that allows evidence to be recorded in advance and enables survivors to observe sentencing remotely where appropriate.
Trials involving rape and serious sexual offences will also be prioritised under the new system. From October, such cases are expected to receive fixed trial dates rather than being placed on floating court lists, which can result in hearings being moved at short notice.
The government said the changes were necessary because of lengthy delays affecting rape cases. According to Ministry of Justice figures cited in the announcement, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete after reaching the Crown Court in 2025.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said victims had for too long felt let down by the criminal justice system and argued that the reforms would put victims at the centre of court proceedings.
The government said the reforms were intended not only to reduce delays but also to encourage more survivors to remain engaged with the justice process.
Lord Chancellor Alex Norris said survivors had often been left to navigate the justice system without adequate support. He said the new funding would provide court facilities designed around victims’ needs while improving the training of court personnel.
As part of the reforms, all court staff will receive trauma-informed training to improve how they interact with survivors of rape and sexual offences.
The government will also trial a system under which victims of sexual offences are assigned a single point of contact throughout their court proceedings. The aim is to provide continuity and make it easier for survivors to understand and navigate the legal process.
A new Rape Justice Taskforce will additionally bring together leaders from across the criminal justice system to examine postponed trials and address factors that may contribute to victims withdrawing from cases.
The reforms are expected to cost about £23m from the Ministry of Justice budget, according to UK media reports.
The announcement follows a series of measures by the UK Government aimed at tackling violence against women and girls.
Earlier in September, the government announced that specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams would be established across all police forces in England and Wales by December 2027, bringing forward the previous target by 18 months.
The government has also pledged to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the specialist court measures, particularly provisions for separate entrances, waiting areas and improved arrangements for participating in proceedings.
However, opposition politicians have raised broader concerns about the government’s proposed changes to the justice system, including its approach to jury trials. The government maintains that the specialist courts are part of a wider effort to improve the experience of victims while addressing delays in the prosecution of serious sexual offences.
The specialist court programme will now be implemented progressively, with the government expecting every Crown Court in England and Wales to have at least one dedicated courtroom within two years.
