The Bar Council has warned the government against its plans to push cases into the magistrates' court as new data shows that its backlog has reached a record high.

Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show that the magistrates' court backlog has increased by 17% in the last year. The backlog is now at a record of high of 379,437 cases - 70% higher than what it was in the same period in 2019.

Under government proposals, magistrates' sentencing powers would increase which would see thousands more serious cases be moved to the magistrates' court. According to the Institute for Government, the reforms would see a 10-15% increase in demand on the magistrates' court.

Bar Council Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC said: "The backlog of cases in the magistrates' court has accelerated faster than in the Crown Court. It now is at a record high of 379,437, an increase of 17% on last year's waiting list. The government's plan to reduce cases in the Crown Court by pushing them into the magistrates' court and restricting jury trials is high risk for highly uncertain benefit.

"The Crown Court backlog increase needs to be tackled by opening all the closed courts urgently and giving judges and barristers the resources they need to tackle the delays. They have demonstrated they can do it, even when being forced to work at reduced capacity."

Related resources