NCJ Number
179593
Date Published
1999
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results from the February and June 1998 surveys on the duration of indictable cases completed in magistrates' courts in England and Wales during one week of the month; the June survey also collected information on summary cases.
Abstract
The average time from offense to completion for all defendants declined from 142 days in June 1997 to 140 days in June 1998, although the 1998 number was higher than the 139 days in June 1996. The average time from first listing to completion fell to 31 days in June 1998 from 35 days a year before. The average time from offense to completion for defendants in indictable cases declined from 133 days in June 1996 and 136 days in June 1997 to 126 days in June 1998. Defendants in summary non-motoring cases waited an average of 131 days from offense to completion in June 1998, an increase from 128 days in June 1997 and a decline from the 133 days recorded in June 1996. The average time from offense to completion for defendants in summary motoring cases rose to 153 days in June 1998, compared with 152 days in June 1997 and 146 days in June 1996. The average number of adjournments for all defendants was 1.2 in June 1998, down from 1.3 in June 1997. The average time from offense to completion for defendants in indictable cases in the Youth Court fell to 116 days in June 1998 from 132 days in June 1997. A large part of it was a decrease in the average time from first listing to completion to 53 days in June 1998 from 61 days a year earlier. Tables, figures, and notes