From next month, England and Wales will operate specialist courts dedicated solely to rape cases, the government announced on Tuesday.

The new courts will let victims watch proceedings from a remote location and give evidence from a separate room via video link, a measure the Justice Department says will cut re‑traumatisation and speed up trials.

"Victims will no longer have to sit in the same room as the accused during cross‑examination," a Justice Ministry spokesperson said.

Funding of £45 million, secured in the latest budget, will cover the technology and additional staffing needed for the pilot phase in Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. Each court will be staffed by judges trained in handling sexual violence cases, and will operate with dedicated support services, including trauma‑informed counsellors.

Why specialist courts are being introduced

Current statistics show that only about one in four reported rapes leads to a conviction, according to the Home Office. Advocates attribute the low rate partly to the distress victims experience when forced to confront their alleged perpetrator in a conventional courtroom.

Legal scholars have long warned that the standard court setting can deter reporting. "The traditional model places the survivor in a hostile environment," said Professor Emma Clarke of the University of Leeds, who has studied sexual violence litigation for a decade.

How the new system will work

When a case reaches the specialist court, the victim will be offered the choice of sitting in a separate, sound‑proof room. A live video feed will link the two rooms, allowing the judge and jury to see the testimony without the survivor being in the defendant's presence.

Remote viewing will also be available to family members and support persons, subject to data‑protection safeguards. The technology will be provided by a consortium of UK firms, with pilot trials already completed in a limited capacity at Manchester Crown Court.

Response from victims' groups and legal bodies

Women’s Aid England welcomed the announcement, calling it "a long‑overdue step toward a more compassionate justice system." The charity’s director, Hannah Patel, said the move could encourage more survivors to come forward.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it would work closely with the new courts to ensure evidence handling meets prosecutorial standards. "Our priority is to maintain the integrity of the process while reducing unnecessary harm to victims," a CPS spokesperson said.

Potential impact and next steps

Officials expect the specialist courts to process up to 2,000 cases per year once fully operational, according to the Ministry of Justice. If successful, the model could be expanded to other serious sexual offences, such as child sexual abuse.

Parliament will debate the rollout in the upcoming session, with opposition parties urging a thorough review of the pilot outcomes before a nationwide roll‑out.

Legal analysts note that the initiative aligns with broader reforms aimed at modernising the criminal justice system, including digital evidence handling and increased use of remote hearings introduced during the pandemic.

The first specialist court is slated to sit in Manchester on 15 October, with Birmingham and Cardiff following in November.

victim viewing live trial screen from a private room