Man waits over a year for justice as court backlog hits record high

A Birmingham shopkeeper has been left looking over his shoulder for over a year after an alleged assault, his case stuck in a justice system buckling under the weight of a record backlog.

For Abdul Rehman, opening and closing his grocery shop in Sparkhill, Birmingham, is an act now filled with anxiety. He says he is constantly looking over his shoulder, especially during the dark winter months.

This fear stems from an alleged assault on the rooftop of his shop back in April 2023. A man was swiftly arrested and charged by police, but more than a year later, Rehman is still waiting for justice.

His case has been listed five separate times at the city's magistrates' court but has yet to reach a conclusion. "I'm scared if anybody's coming to attack me," he said, describing the profound personal impact of the delay. The reasons for the postponements are varied and symptomatic of a system under immense pressure. On one occasion, a crucial interpreter had not been booked.

On another, the case was pushed aside for priority cases involving defendants who were already in custody, a common practice that leaves victims like Rehman at the back of an ever-growing queue.

'The system doesn't care about witnesses'

The main witness in the case, Iqbal Mohammed, did not mince his words when describing the criminal justice system as "a complete shambles". Mohammed, who is a civil law barrister and was representing Rehman in a separate dispute at the time, has attended court multiple times out of what he calls a sense of civic duty. He revealed he has had to miss out on paid work to do so, only to be met with constant delays and disorganisation.

"I don't think the system cares about witnesses," Mohammed stated with clear frustration. "It gives them the runaround and makes it as difficult as possible for them so they give up." His experience highlights the significant human cost of the delays, where those willing to participate in the justice process are left feeling ignored, their time and commitment undervalued by a system struggling to function.

A nationwide crisis with local consequences

Mr Rehman's prolonged wait is far from an isolated incident. He is one of many complainants waiting years for justice because of a court backlog, which government data shows is now at a record high of 379,437 open cases at the magistrates' courts of England and Wales.

The problem extends to the Crown Court, which saw its own backlog of outstanding cases climb to a record 80,200 at the end of December 2025, more than double the level seen before the pandemic. Projections from the Ministry of Justice even suggest that without major intervention, the Crown Court backlog could reach 100,000 by 2028.

The causes are multifaceted, stemming from historic underinvestment, systemic inefficiencies, and a critical shortage of legal professionals. In Birmingham, the situation is particularly acute. A report from an April 2026 visit to Birmingham Crown Court described a system buckling under cumulative failures, with courtrooms sometimes sitting empty while multiple cases were scheduled for the same time slot.

Earlier in 2025, city leaders warned the backlog was directly impacting public safety, with some murder trials taking three to four years to begin. This prompted proposals for a "rocket docket" to fast-track serious cases and for the appointment of at least two more criminal judges.

'They lose confidence and that is bad for all of us'

The Law Society, the body that represents solicitors, has warned that such extensive delays are severely eroding public confidence in the entire justice system. Stuart Nolan, chair of the organisation's Criminal Law Committee, explained the dangerous knock-on effect. "They lose confidence, they don't think they're getting justice and that is bad for all of us," he said.

These concerns are backed by a March 2025 report from the Victims' Commissioner, which highlighted that nearly half of all victims have had their Crown Court trial dates rescheduled. For many, the years-long waits and emotional strain become too much, resulting in them withdrawing from the process altogether, meaning potential criminals walk free. The Law Society has called for sustained financial investment and system-wide reform, stressing the urgent need for more magistrates, qualified judges, and legal advisers to clear the logjam.

An official response to the 'crisis'

The government has acknowledged the scale of the problem. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the government had "inherited a court system in crisis" and was "pulling every lever available to turn the tide on the backlog". In February 2026, the Justice Secretary announced an overhaul of the system, including lifting the cap on the number of days courts can sit.

However, other proposals, such as curtailing jury trials for certain cases, were met with criticism from legal professionals who argued they were a distraction from the core issue of underinvestment.

While authorities promise action and debate reforms, thousands of people like Abdul Rehman remain in limbo, caught in a system where justice delayed feels increasingly like justice denied, and public trust continues to fray.