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# Ipswich Crown Court cases moved to Cambridge to tackle backlog
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/ipswich-crown-court-cases-moved-to-cambridge-to-tackle-backlog/
- Published: 2024-11-06T08:20:04.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:31:05.000Z
- Description: Cases from Ipswich Crown Court are being moved to Cambridge as part of government efforts to tackle a backlog of more than 1,000 cases. The announcement came after Ipswich MP Jack Abbott raised concerns in Parliament today.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Courts, Elected leaders and local democracy, #article, Jack Abbott, Ipswich Crown Court, #Import 2026-03-16 14:46

**The big picture:** More than 140 cases at Ipswich Crown Court have been left unresolved for two years or more, with the average case taking 249 days to progress.

**Why it matters:** Long delays in court cases can:

- Leave victims waiting for justice
- Keep defendants in uncertainty
- Create additional stress for witnesses
- Impact public confidence in the justice system

![Ipswich Crown Court](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1723102244-ipswich-crown-court-jpeg-14.jpg)

Ipswich Crown Court Photo: Oliver Rouane-Williams (Ipswich.co.uk)

**What's happening:** The government is taking two key steps to address the situation:

- Moving appropriate cases to Cambridge Crown Court
- Increasing Crown Court sitting days nationally to 106,500 – 500 more than previously agreed

**What they're saying:** Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich, said it "means justice will be delivered for people in Ipswich and Suffolk as we look to fix our broken criminal justice system."

Courts Minister Heidi Alexander said the government is "fully committed to bearing down on the Crown Court case loads."

**The bottom line:** While steps are being taken to address the backlog, it remains unclear how many cases will be moved to Cambridge or how quickly the backlog might be reduced.

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