Without more money, court reform may be a struggle

The backlog of criminal cases waiting to be dealt with by crown courts in England and Wales stood at 73,105 at the end of September - a new record high.

- Guardian staff

There have been warnings that this could hit 100,000 without radical change.

There is no doubt this is needed. The government admits that even if crown courts were to work at full capacity, the backlog would continue to grow. This critical point has pushed well-respected senior figures to call for an overhaul. The government has asked the high-profile former high court judge Sir Brian Leveson to conduct a review into the criminal justice system.