Government announces rollout of specialist RASSO courts across England and Wales: what do the reforms mean for the criminal justice system?
On 21 September 2026, the Government announced the introduction of new, Specialist Rape and Serious Sexual Offence (RASSO) courts, which are to be rolled out across the country over the next two years.
The announcement, which comes as part of the Government’s wider effort to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, has been broadly welcomed by stakeholders from across the criminal justice system.
In this briefing, partner Martin Rackstraw and trainee Ben Bramble examine the Government's announcement, outline the key features of the new specialist RASSO courts and consider the opportunities and challenges these reforms may present for the criminal justice system.
The principal RASSO court measures
By 2028, each of England and Wales’ 84 Crown Court buildings are to have a dedicated specialist rape and sexual offences courtroom.
Where the architecture allows it, complainants will be given private entrances and separate waiting rooms from defendants.
Where the architecture prevents upgrades, staff are expected to coordinate a ‘trauma informed approach’ to ensure complainants’ welfare.
Specialist courts will be given funds to ensure facilities are in place to allow complainants to view proceedings remotely and give evidence from a separate room via video link.
Court staff are to be given trauma-informed training and there will be a single point of contact for each complainant.
Rape and serious sexual offences will now be prioritised by courts, with the Government announcing that trials for these offences will be given a fixed date, as opposed to being placed on floating lists.
The Government has also announced the creation of a new Rape Justice Taskforce, drawing leaders from across the criminal justice system to address delays and improve outcomes in rape cases.
Early reaction to the RASSO court proposals
Reaction from across the criminal justice system has been broadly positive.
The Survivors Trust welcomed the announcement of specialist courts and the end of RASSO cases being placed on floating lists, which it described as having added ‘further emotional strain and practical difficulty for survivors preparing to attend court’.
The Bar Council was similarly supportive of the measures, noting that specialist courts, unlike the proposed changes to jury trials, have been proved effective in reducing court delays and delivering timely justice for complainants. This praise was caveated with the recommendation that domestic abuse cases be included alongside rape and serious sexual offences.
Claire Waxman OBE, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has been supportive of the measures, but notes that ‘they should be standard for every courtroom and every victim’. She further added that the increase in the Crown Court backlog since she first called for specialist courts in 2021 means that the proposed measures alone will not suffice to ‘tackle the scale of the delays or deliver the swift justice victims deserve’, and commented that court delays could prevent many rape complainants from accessing the specialist courtrooms that are being set up to support them.
Commentary from Russell-Cooke's criminal law team
These proposals are undeniably a step in the right direction when it comes to improving complainants’ experience of the criminal justice system. While many of the measures appear to formalise and standardise existing arrangements, rather than establishing entirely new practices, the creation of specialist courtrooms to hear RASSO cases and the removal of such cases from floating lists does represent a substantive change to the current system. The reforms should provide greater certainty for complainants and help ensure that support measures are delivered more consistently across England and Wales.
What is less clear is how these measures will improve the delays currently besetting the criminal justice system. With the court estate already stretched to capacity, ringfencing courtrooms for RASSO cases could lead to delays for other types of offences. This was a concern raised by the Law Commission in its 2025 report on sexual offences, a report on which the Government appears to have drawn heavily in formulating these proposals. The Commission and its consultees raised the same concern, namely: the strain placed on the wider criminal justice system by limited resources, practitioner shortages and court delays. Ultimately, without addressing the systemic issues affecting the criminal justice system, complainants in all kinds of offences will continue to face lengthy waits for their cases to be heard.
Furthermore, whilst improving the experience of complainants is undoubtedly important, care must be taken to ensure reforms do not undermine the fairness that must lie at the heart of the criminal justice system, or the public’s perception of it. An actual or perceived loss of impartiality was flagged as a concern by the Law Commission when it recommended the creation of specialist courts within the existing court estate, rather than a wholly separate court structure. There is a risk that a defendant appearing before a designated ‘specialist’ court may perceive, and may experience, an additional layer of stigma and consequently greater difficulty in defending what will by definition be very serious allegations. As ever, a balance must be struck between supporting complainants, upholding the presumption of innocence and protecting the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
About Martin and Ben
Martin Rackstraw is a partner in the criminal and financial crime team. He often represents individuals facing serious allegations, particularly homicide, sexual allegations, terrorism and drug cases. Ben Bramble is currently a third-seat trainee in the criminal and financial crime team.
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If you would like to speak with a member of the team you can contact our criminal defence solicitors by telephone on +44 (0)20 3826 7521 or complete our enquiry form.
