Catching up on court cases 'could continue into next year'

There's a backlog of court cases due to the coronavirus pandemic in England and Wales, and the UK justice secretary has now warned that work to catch up could last into next year.

Some jury trials in England and Wales resumed in May, after almost two months on hold.

Robert Buckland said he's going to "use every tool in the book" to help speed up the clearing of the backlog.

He suggested juries with fewer members - like what happened in the Second World War - and using public buildings as courtrooms could reduce the caseload.

He also said there was "clear merit" for a proposal for judge-only trials in less serious crown court cases.