Specialist RASSO Courtrooms Planned for Every Crown Court in England and Wales
Every Crown Court in England and Wales will have at least one courtroom dedicated to rape and serious sexual offence cases within two years, under plans announced on 20 September 2026. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the programme and said prosecution rates for rape remained "shamefully low" The Guardian.
The UK Ministry of Justice said rape and serious sexual offence (RASSO) cases will be given higher priority in court schedules. RASSO trials will receive a fixed date. They will no longer sit on floating lists that can be moved at short notice.
The timetable is two years. The design centres on separation and remote participation. The dedicated rooms will have private entrances and waiting rooms. They will be equipped to record evidence in advance and to allow sentencing to be observed remotely.
Staff changes will run alongside the building changes. Court staff will receive new trauma-informed training, which teaches staff how court procedures can affect traumatised people. A pilot scheme will give victims of sex offences a single point of contact during the court process.
A separate £43m will support survivors through the national rape and sexual abuse support fund for the next two years. The funding covers counselling, therapy, outreach and group activities. It sits outside the spending on courtrooms and scheduling.
Earlier outlines of the reform, reported in March, included specialised legal advice for rape victims in courts BBC. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said at that time that the court changes were part of rebalancing the system to "put victims first".
The broader context here is about continuity and people dropping out during long processes. Dedicated courtrooms, fixed dates, advance recording, remote viewing of sentencing, a single contact and trauma-informed staff each address a point where delay or unplanned contact can disrupt participation.
In my view, the package treats courtroom design, case management and aftercare as one linked system rather than isolated fixes, and its effect will turn on delivery rather than design.
