Swindon MP Robert Buckland said his department had identified 10 sites for pop-up courts to help clear the backlog of criminal trials.

Setting out the Ministry of Justice’s coronavirus recovery plan, the Lord Chancellor, who has served as South Swindon’s MP since 2010, said the courts maintenance budget would be more than doubled – with £142m set aside to improve court houses.

Last week, it was revealed there was a backlog of around half a million cases in the country’s criminal courts. In Swindon, where jury trials are expected to resume later this month, the number of outstanding cases stands at roughly 3,000.

Mr Buckland, a barrister before he became an MP, acknowledged there was “work to be done to get back on track”. He claimed the number of outstanding cases was not extraordinary, but added: “The context and the rate of increase is”.

He said: “I have already identified 10 additional sites for so-called Nightingale courts to allow for better social distancing; we are looking at whether courts will need to stay open for longer to increase the number of cases that can be heard safely on any given day; the standard of video technology continues to improve, with new tech being rolled out across all courts from this week; and I am exploring means of getting jury trials moving at pace once more.”

Lawyers’ groups have called for pop-up courts to hold socially-distanced trials and help clear the backlog of cases, which they say has been exacerbated but not caused by the coronavirus lockdown.

Last month, in response to suggestions that the government could replace juries in some crown court trials with a panel consisting of a judge and two magistrates, senior south west barrister Kate Brunner QC accused Whitehall of trying to use coronavirus as an excuse to “get rid of the right to the jury”.

Ms Brunner, leader of the Western Circuit, said: “The solution to that is not an un-tested and radical new system, but proper funding for the criminal courts.

“With social distancing we can't hold as many jury trials in each court building so the answer is Nightingale courts using other empty buildings as courts like conference centres or university halls. It can be done almost overnight for hospitals and could be done for courts too.

“There are so many reasons to fight to keep jury trials. It really is being tried by your peers - of all ages and backgrounds - whereas judges and magistrates are not a diverse group.”

The government is yet to reveal the 10 locations identified for the new Nightingale courts.

Documents published by the Ministry of Justice today suggested courts could extend their hours in order to increase capacity. All courts should reopen by the end of July.

The new guidance does not address whether the government plans to replace some jury trials with trials decided by a judge and two magistrates.