Warrants for defendants skipping court in England and Wales up 50% since 2020
The number of warrants issued for defendants skipping court in England and Wales has increased by nearly 50% since 2020, with almost 60,000 warrants issued last year. This rise highlights significant issues within the criminal justice system, exacerbated by delays and underfunding. Former justice secretary Alex Chalk KC described the situation as a 'horror show,' raising concerns about the ability to recover from this crisis.
- ▪Nearly 60,000 arrest warrants were issued for defendants who skipped court last year, a 50% increase since 2020.
- ▪More than 30,000 failure-to-appear warrants are still outstanding, indicating many criminals could be on the run.
- ▪The crown court backlog exceeded 80,000 cases at the end of last year, more than double pre-pandemic levels.
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| Original publisher | World news | The Guardian |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/may/24/warrants-for-defendants-skipping-court-in-england-and-wales-up-50-since-2020 |
| Publication time | Sun, 24 May 2026 15:00:01 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-24T15:12:33.277Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-24T17:03:52.877Z |
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The figures obtained by the Dispatches programme mean tens of thousands of criminals could be on the run after being charged. Photograph: Channel 4View image in fullscreenThe figures obtained by the Dispatches programme mean tens of thousands of criminals could be on the run after being charged. Photograph: Channel 4Courts in crisisUK criminal justiceWarrants for defendants skipping court in England and Wales up 50% since 2020Former justice secretary Alex Chalk KC says figures Channel 4 obtained show the ‘horror show’ in the systemMatt Shea and Haroon SiddiqueSun 24 May 2026 11.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 24 May 2026 11.01 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleAlmost 60,000 arrest warrants were issued for defendants who skipped court in England and Wales last year, up nearly 50% since 2020…
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