Help us improve GOV.UK 12.10.2026 UK Ministry of Defence Veľká Británia Technológie Štátne inštitúcie Právo Victims will see fewer delays under plans for courts to trial the use of Virtual Remand Hearings, as part of a drive to deliver faster justice. Virtual Remand Hearings to be piloted in courtrooms across the country  Government responds to all 180 recommendations in Criminal Courts Review Comes as the Courts and Tribunals Bill returns to Parliament tomorrow Recommended in Lord Leveson’s Review and backed by £17.4 million, the Government’s latest technology drive will be piloted in at least four police force areas across the country. The scheme will mean defendants will attend their first court hearing via a secure video link from a police custody suite – avoiding the need to transport the defendant from police cell to court to jail and ensuring courts can progress more cases. Early predictions suggest the technology could help courts bear down on the criminal court backlog which is currently at a record high. This move forms part of the Government’s response, published today (Monday 12 October), to Lord Leveson’s review, which set out a blueprint for modernising the criminal courts and tackling the inherited backlog. The Government’s response accepts, or accepts in principle, the overwhelming majority of all 180 recommendations – setting out a programme of investment, modernisation and reform, designed to build a faster and more resilient justice system. Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Norris, said: I am grateful to Lord Leveson for his landmark review, which has provided us with a blueprint for modernising our criminal courts and tackling the unacceptable delays facing victims that we inherited. We are already acting on that challenge, investing in our court estate, upgrading technology and embracing reforms that help courts work more efficiently. Together, these changes will help cut delays, make better use of court resources and deliver the swifter justice that victims deserve. To help maximise court resources further, the Government is also investing up to £5 million to roll out specialist Case Coordinators in every Crown Court in England and Wales, helping ensure cases progress more efficiently and effectively, reducing delays.  Working alongside judges, prosecutors and defence teams, these dedicated staff will identify and resolve issues in specific cases earlier, keep them on track, ironing out kinks that could lead to further delays and ensure valuable court time is used more efficiently, helping deliver swifter justice for victims. Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC said:    Our response sets out a clear plan for modernising our criminal courts, and we are getting on with delivering it. By investing in new technology, expanding Virtual Remand Hearings and rolling out specialist case coordinators, we are helping courts work smarter, cutting delays and delivering the justice that victims deserve. Alongside expanding the use of remote hearings and deploying specialist case staff, the Government is investing at record levels to boost court capacity, increasing the size of the magistracy and investing millions in new technology to modernise the court estate. It comes as judges have been given the ability to hear cases hundreds of miles away. Utilising new technology court cases can now be transferred digitally to judges anywhere in the country, helping redistribute resources and target courts bogged down by backlogs. Today, the Government has also laid legislation that will expand court broadcasting, bringing more of the justice system into the public eye and strengthening open justice. For the first time, proceedings in the Administrative Court and sentencing remarks delivered by the Chief Magistrate could be broadcast, shining a light on some of the most high-profile cases before the courts and helping the public see justice being done. These announcements come as the Courts and Tribunals Bill returns to Parliament tomorrow, where the Government will amend the Bill to remove proposals to limit jury trials, ensuring almost all Crown Court cases continue to be heard by a jury. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/technology-to-bolster-justice-for-victims-as-government-responds-to-leveson