Pressure on justice system sees trial backlog double in four years
The pressure on the justice system has seen the backlog of trials at the county's crown court more than double since the pandemic.
Data released by the Ministry of Justice show that the number of trial cases outstanding at Shrewsbury Crown Court currently stands at 571.
The number, which was taken in the second quarter of 2023/24, is more than double the figure of 287, from the same period in 2019.
The justice system has made moves to address the issue, with the addition of an extra courtroom at Shrewsbury Crown Court – which actually sits at Telford Justice Centre.
It comes as the Victims' Commissioner has expressed "grave concern" at the record backlog in crown courts across England.
Data from the Ministry of Justice also shows there were 1,300 outstanding crown court cases in West Mercia as of September – up from 1,213 a year earlier.
This was also a rise from 649 outstanding cases in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.
Across England, there were 66,547 outstanding cases in crown courts.
