So-called blitz courts are being expanded across England and Wales.

A number of courts across the two countries have been holding regular blitz hearings since April. Multiple cases are heard every day instead of just one, and are grouped by type. A set of plea hearings might be scheduled together in one blitz court, and sentencing hearings at another.

Blitz courts increase efficiency by making sure that all the parties concerned are ready and prepared for their day in court.

They are not a new idea. Rapid hearings are sometimes used to speed up justice in exceptional circumstances, such as after the 2011 summer riots in England, which saw large numbers of public disorder hearings.

It's part of plans by the Ministry of Justice to try to cut court delays and backlogs in England and Wales, which have reached record levels.

But will they help ease the crisis in the criminal courts?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

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