Justice served in just 45 days

Efforts of the Ministry of Justice working with the courts, police and the Prosecution Service have achieved substantial reductions in the time it takes to get criminal prosecutions heard in court.

Criminals are being brought to justice more quickly, victims and witnesses face fewer court appearances, and there are fewer delays at magistrates’ court
hearings.

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, a scheme that introduced new and more efficient ways of working by all parts of the criminal justice system working together with the judiciary so that cases brought to magistrates’ courts are dealt with more speedily.

Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales, Lord Justice Leveson, said: “The success of this scheme illustrates the benefits of a joined-up approach between the judiciary and the criminal justice agencies.

“I am grateful to the magistracy and local agencies for their commitment and hard work in helping to ensure this initiative has led to significant improvements to the speed at which cases progress through the courts.”

Other notable achievements by magistrates’ courts include:

● 41% of cases completed at the first hearing – up from 29% 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 stand at 59%, this was previously 48%.

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