For someone who has experienced rape or sexual violence, waiting for a case to reach court can be another difficult part of an already painful experience. This week, the Prime Minister announced plans to introduce specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offences across England and Wales. The aim is to reduce some of the delays survivors can face, while also making the court environment more trauma-informed and responsive to their needs.
What might this look like in practice?
Every Crown Court in England and Wales is expected to have at least one courtroom specially set up to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years.
The plans include:
- Trauma-informed court staff – training to better understand the impact of trauma.
- A single point of contact – being trialled to give survivors someone clear to turn to for information.
- Private entrances and waiting areas – where possible, to reduce unnecessary contact with defendants and their supporters.
- Separate rooms for giving evidence – using video link where appropriate.
- Remote access to proceedings – including observing sentencing, where facilities allow.
Exactly what is available will depend on each individual court and its facilities.
Rape Crisis England & Wales has described the announcement as “a significant step forward for our justice system”, recognising many of these reforms as changes they have been calling for over a number of years.
Could this help with waiting times?
Alongside the specialist courtrooms, rape and serious sexual offence cases are being prioritised. Trials will be given fixed dates rather than being placed on “floating” lists, where hearings can be moved at short notice.
For someone already waiting, having a clearer date could make an uncertain process feel a little more predictable.
The scale of these delays is significant. Rape Crisis England & Wales reports that at the end of March 2026, 80,061 cases were waiting to be heard in the Crown Court, with sexual offence cases making up 19% of the backlog. On average, people involved in sexual offence cases were waiting 370 days for their trial to be completed.
Waiting can mean carrying the uncertainty of a court case alongside the impact of what happened — preparing to give evidence, putting parts of life on hold, or finding difficult feelings returning when a hearing is postponed.
Labour MP Charlotte Nichols has spoken publicly about her own experience, telling the House of Commons: “I waited 1,088 days to go to court. Every single one of those days was agony.”
The specialist courtrooms are expected to be introduced across England and Wales over the next two years, with measures to prioritise rape and serious sexual offence cases and provide fixed trial dates.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the changes are intended to “rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first.”
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