LORD CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE - JUDICIAL STATISTICS, 1976 ENGLAND AND WALES

• NCJ Number: 46486
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 124 pages
• Sale Source: Her Majesty's Stationery Office
• Publication Type: Report (Annual/Periodic)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT BY THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR BY COMMAND OF HER MAJESTY, JULY 1977

Annotation

TABULAR DATA DESCRIBING WORKLOADS, CRIMINAL AND CIVIL BUSINESS, AND APPEALS HANDLED BY ALL COURTS UNDER THE LORD CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND AND WALES ARE PRESENTED, ALONG WITH BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH COURT OR TRIBUNAL.

Abstract

THE STATISTICS ARE PRESENTED IN SEVEN SECTIONS. DATA FOR THE APPELLATE COURTS SUMMARIZE APPEALS ENTERED DURING 1975 AND 1976 FOR THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL, THE HOUSE OF LORDS, THE COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION), THE COURT OF APPEAL (CRIMINAL DIVISION), THE HIGH COURT (CHANCERY DIVISION), AND THE HIGH COURT (QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION -- THE CRIMINAL DIVISION), AND THE HIGH COURT (FAMILY DIVISION). THE SECTION ON CRIMINAL BUSINESS IN THE CROWN COURT PROVIDES 1975-1976 DATA REGARDING: NUMBER OF CASES COMMITED FOR TRIAL; NUMBER OF SENTENCES; APPEALS TO THE CROWN COURT BY CIRCUIT; WAITING TIMES BETWEEN COMMITTAL FOR TRIAL AND TRIAL, AND BETWEEN TRIAL AND SENTENCE BY CIRCUIT; AND AVERAGE HEARING TIMES. SIMILAR INFORMATION IS GIVEN FOR CIVIL BUSINESS IN COURTS OF FIRST INSTANCE, BUSINESS IN TRIBUNALS, AND COURTS HANDLING TAXATION OF COSTS. FINAL SECTIONS GIVE WORKLOAD STATISTICS B- COURT AND AREA OF THE COUNTRY AND COMPARATIVE TABLES SHOWING TRENDS IN VARIOUS TYPES OF CASES OVER THE PAST DECADE. THE CROWN COURT, A SINGLE COURT WHICH SITS AT 97 CENTERS THROUGHOUT ENGLAND AND WALES, HANDLED 54,576 COMMITTALS FOR TRIAL IN 1976 COMPARED TO 50,451 IN 1975; 51,705 CASES WERE DISPOSED OF COMPARED TO 48,501 IN 1975. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 6 PERCENT IN COMMITTALS AND 5 PERCENT IN DISPOSALS. THIS COMPARES WITH A 14-PERCENT INCREASE IN COMMITTALS AND A 12-PERCENT INCREASE IN DISPOSALS BETWEEN 1974 AND 1975. BECAUSE COMMITTALS OUTNUMBER DISPOSALS EVERY YEAR, THE BACKLOG OF CASES IS INCREASING. THIS INCREASE RANGES FROM 15 PERCENT YEARLY IN THE MIDLAND AND OXFORD CIRCUIT TO 32 PERCENT IN LONDON AND THE SOUTH END. NUMBER OF APPEALS RECEIVED AND DISPOSED OF BOTH INCREASED 14 PERCENT OVER 1975. AT THE END OF 1976, 2,054 CASES WERE OUTSTANDING ON APPEAL, 18 PERCENT MORE THAN AT THE END OF 1975. WAITING TIME ALSO INCREASED. IN 1974, ABOUT 59 PERCENT OF ALL DEFENDANTS WERE DEALT WITH WITHIN 8 WEEKS. IN 1975, THIS FELL TO 56 PERCENT AND IN 1976 WAS 52 PERCENT. AGAIN THE PROBLEM IS WORST IN LONDON AND SOUTH END. ABOUT 57 PERCENT OF ALL DEFENDANTS PLEADED GUILTY. OF THE REMAINDER, ABOUT HALF WERE FOUND NOT GUILTY. (GLR)