HC Deb 10 June 1985 vol 80 cc633-4
41. Mr. Alex Carlile

asked the Attorney-General how many circuit judges there were in June 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively; what is the present establishment of circuit judges; and if he will make a statement.

The Attorney-General

The numbers of circuit judges were: 1 June 1982, 335; 1 June 1983, 346; 1 June 1984, 353; and 1 June 1985, 374.

Mr. Carlile

I welcome the increase in the number of circuit judges. However, does the Attorney-General agree that there are still intolerable delays in the trials of serious cases in the Crown courts? Is there not still a considerable need for the appointment of more circuit judges? Does he also agree that it is the judges who carry much of the responsibility for speeding up the terrible delays which sometimes occur in the police force and in the DPP's Department over the processing of cases quickly for trial?

The Attorney-General

I can give the lie to that question. Between 1979 and 1984 the number of committals for trial to the Crown court increased by over 50 per cent. Despite this surge, the average waiting time, because of the appointment of additional judges and the provision of extra court rooms, has been reduced from 17.3 weeks in 1979 to 14.2 weeks in 1983, and in 1984 it was held at 14.3 weeks. By the appointment of extra judges—those appointments will have to continue and we expect there to be 440 circuit judges by the end of this decade—the waiting time figures have been reduced. I agree with the hon. and learned Gentleman that the delays are still far too long and that we must continue to do everything that we can to reduce them.

Mr. Ashby

Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the increase in the number of cases coming to trial may be because the magistrates' courts—not the circuit courts or the Crown courts—cannot devote the time that is necessary to deal with the kind of defended cases that can be dealt with in the circuit courts?

The Attorney-General

The problem goes even further than that. The percentage of acquittals ordered by judges was, I think, 40 per cent. of all those who pleaded not guilty in the circuit courts. There must be something wrong, and that something is that some cases that should never have been sent to trial were so sent. In the Metropolitan police area, a large percentage—I believe about 40 per cent. — of cases are committed for trial without a solicitor of the Metropolitan solicitors' department seeing them. To some extent, that is why I issued the guidelines about prosecutions. When we have the new national prosecuting service, we should have much more control. I hope that there will not then be so much wasted time, which causes agony to the defendant, especially when he should never have been sitting in the dock in the first place.

Mr. John Morris

During the process of the legislation that first designated circuit judges, I believe that the Lord Chancellor said that there would, from time to time, be promotions from the circuit to the High Court bench. Am I right in thinking that in the past couple of years there has been only one such promotion? Does the Lord Chancellor still hold to that policy?

The Attorney-General

I am afraid that I do not know the answer. I think that the right hon. and learned Gentleman is right, in that most of the promotions to the High Court Bench have involved members of the Bar