The United Kingdom government is introducing specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offence cases in England and Wales as part of reforms aimed at reducing delays and making the criminal justice system more responsive to victims.
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 an announcement by the UK government on Monday, September 21, 2026.
The specialist facilities will include private entrances and waiting rooms for victims, alongside technology that will allow evidence to be pre-recorded and sentencing proceedings to be observed remotely.
The government is also changing how rape and serious sexual offence cases are scheduled. Rather than being placed on floating lists, where hearings can be moved at short notice, the cases will be prioritised and assigned fixed trial dates.
The reforms are intended to address lengthy delays in the prosecution of rape cases. UK Ministry of Justice figures cited in the announcement show that rape cases took an average of 424 days to conclude after reaching the Crown Court in 2025.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the reforms were intended to improve the experience of victims and increase access to justice.
“For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system. Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice,” Burnham said.
He said the government would also focus on preventing violence against women and girls, arguing that improvements in prosecution alone would not address the wider problem.
