Would 'blitz courts' effectively cut the Crown Court backlog?

England and Wales face a Crown Court backlog of around 80,000 cases, double the pre-pandemic level and projected to exceed 100,000 by late 2026 without action. 'Blitz courts' are special sessions processing up to ten cases per day for fast-track guilty pleas, operational in sites like Nottingham and London, with expansion to more courts including the Old Bailey backed by £2.7 billion in funding. Pilots demonstrate backlog reductions, though concerns persist over whether speed compromises fairness, amid debates on complementary measures like increased sitting days.