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Time Intervals for Criminal Proceedings in Magistrates' Courts: March 2001

NCJ Number
189682
Author(s)
Jo Peacock
Date Published
June 2001
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This bulletin presented the results from the March 2001 Time Intervals Survey on criminal proceedings in the magistrates’ court in England and Wales.
Abstract
Results were reported from the March 2001 Time Intervals Survey on criminal case proceedings in both England and Wales. The survey reported on the time taken between stages of proceedings for defendants in completed criminal cases in magistrates’ courts. Information was collected on adult indictable cases, adult summary offenses, youth defendants in both indictable and summary cases, and all criminal cases that involved persistent young offenders. Main points identified in all criminal cases included: (1) reduction in delay from offense to completion with the average time from offense to completion for all defendants falling to 139 days in 2001 from 142 days in 2000 and (2) for those defendants charged the average time from charge to first listing fell to 6 days in 2001 from 9 days in 2000 and the average time from first listing to completion fell from 56 days in 200 to 52 days in 2001. Main points identified for indictable cases included: (1) a reduction in delay with the average time from offense to completion falling to 112 in 2001 from 121 days in 2000 and 129 in 1999; and (2) an increase in the percentage of cases completed at first listing with 27 percent of defendants’ cases completed at first listing in 2001 compared to 26 percent in 2000 and 22 percent in 1999. A main point identified in summary cases was the reduction in delay from offense to completion with the average time for defendants in summary non-motoring cases falling to 133 days in 2001 from 135 in 2000. There was also a slight decrease in the delay for defendants in summary motoring cases where the average time from offense to completion fell from 158 days in 2000 to 157 in 2001. Graphs and tables