The Ministry of Justice announced on 12 October 2026 that “Short Trial Courts,” previously known as Blitz Courts, were being rolled out across England as part of efforts to cut the Crown Court backlog. The scheme groups similar cases over a short, intensive period to concentrate judicial expertise, prosecutors’ time and court staff knowledge so cases can be resolved more quickly.

According to the department, judges were accelerating domestic abuse, drug and knife-crime cases at several London sites, including the Old Bailey, Snaresbrook and Croydon Crown Court, and at courts in Liverpool, Preston and Nottingham. It said the scheme had operated in two dedicated Old Bailey courtrooms throughout the summer of 2026, helping address a backlog of nearly 500 assaults on emergency workers. Almost 50 per cent of those outstanding cases had concluded. The department said judges had also chosen to accelerate possession of a bladed article cases.

Courts Minister Sarah Sackman KC said the government was working with the judiciary to cut delays. The expansion coincided with the Courts and Tribunals Bill returning to Parliament that week, with the government planning to amend it to remove proposals to limit jury trials and to invest in court technology.