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Criminals brought to justice more speedily
- Published: Thursday, 23 October 2023
Courts Minister celebrates success of magistrates' courts.
Notable achievements by magistrates' courts
- 41 per cent of cases completed at the first hearing - up from 29 per cent of cases;
- far fewer adjournments - the average number has fallen from 2.2 to 1.4 per cent;
- in adult charged cases more guilty pleas at the first hearing at 59 per cent - previously was 48 per cent.
Criminals being brought to justice more quickly, victims and witnesses facing fewer court appearances, and fewer delays to magistrates' court hearings were achievements today heralded by Courts Minister, Bridget Prentice, during Inside Justice Week.
Latest figures published show that the estimated average time from police charging a defendant to a case being concluded was just 45 days, down from 62 days in March 2007. This relates to cases heard in magistrates' courts in England and Wales.
The improvements are the result of Criminal Justice: Simple, Speedy Summary (CJSSS), a scheme which introduced new and more efficient ways of working by all parts of the Criminal Justice System working together with the judiciary, so that cases being brought to magistrates' courts are dealt with more speedily.
Bridget Prentice said:
"Up and down the country local justice is being delivered quickly and effectively in local magistrates' courts. This means that victims and witnesses are spared the ordeal of having to return to court several times as far fewer cases are adjourned; criminals are being brought to justice quicker and are spending less time out on bail; and less police time is wasted, giving them more time to catch criminals."
The principles behind CJSSS are to ensure that before a case is brought to court all sides are fully prepared and that the court and defence have enough information for the case to be conducted on the earliest occasion and for a plea to be entered at the first hearing. If the plea is guilty then sentence takes place on that day wherever possible. Interim hearings tend to be avoided and trials proceed, where appropriate, in the absence of defendants if they fail to appear.
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