Magdalena Domínguez

The Crown Court of England and Wales – the court that deals with the most serious offences – had around 75,000 outstanding cases at the end of 2024. 

The Crown Court case backlog has doubled since 2019 and continues to grow. We explore whether falling productivity is part of the reason why. 

This report analyses the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2025–26, with chapters on tax strategy, school spending, public sector pay and more.

As a result, public sector workers in Scotland now enjoy a considerable pay premium relative to their counterparts in the rest of the UK.

How have public sector pay and employment changed in Scotland in recent years and what are the implications of those changes?

New research presents the first consistent estimates of what has happened to Ministry of Justice funding over a period of more than 20 years. 

We present the first consistent estimates of what has happened to Ministry of Justice funding since the early 2000s and put these changes in context.

Over a fifth of government spending goes on pay. We examine recruitment and retention challenges which mean that pressures could mount going forward.