A record number of trials were postponed at Salisbury crown court during a period which saw barristers go on strike across England and Wales, new figures show.

The Law Society said the impact of years of budget cuts is "plain to see" in the latest figures, which also reveal the backlog of crown court cases reached a new high across the country last summer.

Ministry of Justice figures show that of the 18 trials listed at Salisbury Crown Court between July and September 2022, seven were 'ineffective', meaning they had to be postponed to a later date.

This was the highest number for July to September any year since records began in 2014 – in the three months to September 2014, just four out of 20 trials were ineffective.

Trials can be labelled as ineffective for a range of reasons, including the defence or prosecution not being ready, or witnesses being absent.

Meanwhile, three trials at Salisbury​ Crown Court were 'cracked' last year – when the Crown Prosecution Service drops the case or the defendant pleads guilty – and eight were effective, meaning the trial went ahead as planned.

Across England and Wales, ineffective crown court trials rose to their highest rate on record between July and September – 56 per cent had to be postponed, up from 31% the previous quarter. A further 18 per cent were cracked, and just 25% of trials went ahead on their scheduled date over the period.

Criminal barristers in England and Wales began an indefinite strike on September 5 2022 after their action against the Government's proposals for legal fees intensified

The walkouts ended in October, when members of the Criminal Bar Association accepted a package of measures, including a 15 per cent legal aid fee increase for most crown court cases.

The MoJ said a lack of defence barrister availability due to the strikes was the main driver behind the high level of ineffective trials in the latest quarter.

Different figures show that the number of outstanding crown court cases across England and Wales also grew to a record 62,770 at the end of September – including 80 at Salisbury crown court.

The MoJ said its latest figures indicate there was a slight reduction in the number of outstanding crown court cases between October and November.

A spokesperson said: "Whilst there was an increase in the crown court backlog during the barrister strikes, we have worked hard to reduce the caseload since.

"We are doing all we can to ensure courts are working at full capacity. Measures such as unlimited sitting days and increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers are helping restore the swift access to justice that victims deserve."