On 21 September 2026, the government announced that every Crown Court in England and Wales would be given at least one courtroom set up for rape and serious sexual offence cases over the following two years. Private entrances and waiting rooms, facilities to pre-record evidence and remote sentencing observation were among the planned upgrades. Rape cases would be prioritised and given fixed dates rather than floating lists, the Ministry of Justice said.

At the time of the announcement, officials said rape cases reaching the Crown Court in 2025 took an average of 424 days to complete, with many victims withdrawing beforehand. The plans also included trauma-informed training for all court staff, a trial of a single point of contact for victims and a new Rape Justice Taskforce to address postponed trials and the myths that lead victims to withdraw.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Lord Chancellor Alex Norris both said victims had been let down. Ciara Bergman of Rape Crisis England & Wales welcomed the measures, particularly separate waiting areas and entrances. The government also said all police forces in England and Wales would have dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams by the end of 2027.