For the lawyers who participated in the PACE Justice Defence Optimisation Training Programme, the value of that investment was immediate. Another participant planned to keep applying what had been learned “until it becomes second nature.” Others spoke of returning to matters already before the Magistrates’ Court, High Court and Court of Appeal and using the programme materials to guide their preparation. 

Those responses point to an important connection between professional development and the justice system’s wider effort to reduce case backlogs. Cases do not move only because a hearing date has been set. They move when the people responsible for them are ready: when the real issues are identified early, clients are properly advised, applications are made at the appropriate time and counsel can proceed when a matter is called. 

From better preparation to fewer avoidable delays 

The Defence Optimisation Programme was developed against the backdrop of significant national procedural and policy reform in justice, increasing expectations around trial readiness and case management, and  on justice-sector capacity. Before the training, participants themselves identified the need for greater practical support, including guidance on managing criminal matters more efficiently. 

Rather than relying mainly on lectures, participants worked through realistic case scenarios, courtroom problems, simulations and structured exercises with experienced Senior Counsel, judges and practitioners. They valued “learning from seniors” and the opportunity to see how experienced advocates approached problems encountered in actual practice. 

That practical emphasis matters for backlog reduction. A prepared defence lawyer can identify evidential or procedural issues before they become last-minute obstacles. Counsel who has a clear case theory, the necessary records and instructions, and a structured approach to preparation is better placed to avoid preventable adjournments and use court time effectively. Where lawful early resolution may be appropriate, a lawyer who understands plea discussions or Maximum Sentence Indications (MSIs) can properly advise a client. Where a case must be contested, the same preparation helps ensure that the defence is ready to proceed. It is a symbiotic relationship in criminal practice. 

This is not about making criminal proceedings faster at any cost. It is about helping cases move forward because they are sufficiently prepared to do so fairly. Strong defence representation and efficient justice are not competing goals; effective defence practice is part of an effective justice system. 

Participants appeared ready to carry that approach back into their daily work. One welcomed the practical checklist, saying, “Preparing the checklist, I’ve been asking for one.” The comment captures the programme’s wider promise: simple, usable tools can help practitioners bring greater consistency to the files already on their desks. Applied across many matters, better preparation can mean fewer issues discovered too late, fewer disruptions that could have been anticipated and more cases ready for meaningful progress when they go before the court. 

Creating a multiplier effect – Training of Trainers 

The programme also looked beyond the immediate group of participants. Its Train-the-Trainer phase began equipping practitioners not only to apply what they had learned, but to pass that knowledge on through facilitation, lesson planning, learner engagement, assessment and feedback. The programme report describes this as a “multiplier effect”: one practitioner developing the capacity to influence the learning of many more over time. 

That multiplier effect is especially important for sustained backlog reduction. If practical case-management habits, stronger preparation and courtroom discipline are shared across the profession, the benefits can extend beyond a single training cohort. The capacity to support more timely case progression begins to sit within the justice sector itself. 

At the programme’s opening, the Chief Justice emphasised efficiency, fairness and timely disposition and called for sustained training and mentorship, including greater involvement by senior members of the Bar in developing younger advocates. The participants’ own feedback echoed that call. They wanted practical tools, learning grounded in courtroom experience and continued opportunities to strengthen their craft. 

The strongest measure of the programme, then, may be what happens after the training room: a lawyer returning to an active file with a clearer structure; an issue identified before it causes delay; a client advised early enough to make an informed decision; a case ready when the court is ready; and experienced practitioners passing those habits to others. 

Backlogs are reduced case by case. By investing in the people who represent accused persons; who prepare, manage and advocacte those cases, the PACE Justice Defence Optimization Programme is helping to build a professional capacity that is needed to move justice forward — efficiently, fairly and sustainably.