§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average length of time between arrest and conviction for young offenders in 1994–95. [937]
§ Mr. StreeterThe exact information requested is not available although similar figures are recorded by the magistrates courts time intervals survey. This survey collects information on defendants in indictable, including triable either way, cases against whom proceedings are completed in three sample weeks a year—in February, June and October. The June survey also collects information about proceedings in summary cases. The period which corresponds most closely with that requested is charge to verdict, although it is not possible to separate those defendants who were found guilty from those whose cases were dismissed.
The average time from charge to verdict for defendants whose cases were dealt with by summary proceedings in the youth court, as reported by the surveys in the period 611W April 1994 to March 1995, was 84 days and 73 days for defendants charged with indictable and summary offences respectively. These figures include only defendants who were charged and not those who were summonsed. In addition, cases where proceedings did not progress as far as a verdict are excluded, for example, where charges were withdrawn.