§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Attorney-General how many Crown court judges are in post; what is their current training; what social services, psychological, or commun-ity service training is undertaken before or during appointment; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThere are 405 circuit judges of whom the majority regularly sit in the Crown court. Circuit judges are appointed from recorders and assistant recorders who will have sat regularly on a part-time basis.
Before assistant recorders are permitted to sit they must have completed a study programme which comprises:
- (a) visits to the prison and probation services;
- (b) attendance at a residential 3½ day induction course;
- (c) sitting in with an experienced judge for a minimum of five days.
Every year each circuit holds one or more conferences which all circuit judges and part-time members of the judiciary are expected to attend. Speakers from the prison and probation service regularly attend these conferences. After 3½ years' sitting assistant recorders attend a three-day residential refresher seminar. Thereafter, together with all circuit judges and other part-time members of the judiciary they attend further refresher seminars every five years. In addition, the judicial studies board has initiated a series of induction and refresher courses in the civil and family field which have, inter alia, dealt with housing benefit.
§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Attorney-General if he will list the occasions when people have been imprisoned for contempt by Crown court judges or their equivalent for each year from 1970; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralIt is not possible to distinguish between contemnors committed to prison by reference to the type of tribunal ordering the committal. However, the table provided shows the numbers of men and women committed to prison for contempt for the period 1970 to 1987 and the average length of imprisonment for all contemnors for each year during the period 1975 to 1987.
451W
Receptions Males Females Total 1970 289 10 299 1971 318 42 360 1972 534 23 557 1973 500 18 518 1974 547 15 562 1975 751 15 766 1976 810 24 834 1977 900 33 933 1978 923 34 957 1979 923 31 954 1980 804 24 828 1981 877 36 913 1982 933 40 973 1983 934 37 971 1984 1,020 38 1,058 1985 936 46 982 1986 976 40 1,016 1987 924 41 965
Estimated Average time spent in custody by persons committed in Contempt of Court (in days) Days 1975 14 1976 14 1977 17 1978 18 1979 18 1980 19 1981 15 1982 13 1983 14 1984 14 1985 17 1986 18 1987 18