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Autistic individuals are more likely than the general population to face barriers when encountering the criminal justice system and are less likely to access the support they need when doing so. Mounting criminal justice pressures, such as funding declines and court backlogs, exacerbate these existing challenges. This paper, drawing from a project with criminal defence lawyers in England and Wales, considers how court environment and processes are problematic for autistic defendants and to what extent, if at all, adjustments such as special measures remedy this. The paper also reflects on the extent to which power shapes (perceptions of) defendant experiences. Key criminal justice challenges are identified, such as court culture, the drive for efficiency and time poverty, and funding restrictions. It is argued that without remedying the underlying problems, autistic defendants will continue to face significant challenges at court compared with their allistic counterparts.