England and Wales to have specialist courts for rape cases
The UK government has announced plans to introduce specialist courtrooms for rape and sexual assault cases across England and Wales. These facilities will include private entrances and remote evidence-giving capabilities to better support victims and address low prosecution rates.
Why it matters
This reform aims to address systemic failures in the justice system that have historically discouraged victims from reporting sexual crimes.
Image source, Getty Images By Patrick Jackson Published 20 September 2026 Updated 45 minutes ago Specialist courts to handle cases of rape and other sexual offences will be introduced across England and Wales over the next two years, the prime minister has announced.
Each crown court will have at least one courtroom set up to hear such cases, while alleged victims will be able to view proceedings remotely and give evidence from a separate room via video link.
They will also be provided with private entrances and waiting rooms to separate them from defendants, though this will be dependent on the architecture of each building.
Rape Crisis England and Wales said this was a "significant step forward" that would introduce several reforms it had been requesting for years.
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