§ Mr. Ensorasked the Attorney-General what is the present delay in time between conviction on indictment and the hearing of an appeal in the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal; and what was the position in the years 1965 and 1966.
§ The Attorney-GeneralA sample of appeals and applications for leave to appeal listed for hearing by the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal during the week beginning the 17th July, 1967 shows an average interval of approximately 24 weeks between conviction and hearing. If appeals alone (as distinct from applications for leave to appeal) are taken into account, the period is 21 weeks.
The only figures readily available for 1966 relate to appeals disposed of in February of that year, when the average interval was 20 weeks; if applications for leave to appeal are taken into account, 50W the average period was about 22 weeks. A sample of cases taken for the corresponding period in 1965 shows an average period of 17 weeks. These figures should be considered against the background of an increase in the volume of business at the rate of 2,000 additional cases a year.
§ Mr. Oakesasked the Attorney-General what is the average length of time between notice of appeal in a criminal matter and the hearing of that appeal; and what steps are being taken to reduce this period of time.
§ The Attorney-GeneralA sample of appeals and applications for leave to appeal listed for hearing by the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal during the week beginning the 17th July shows an average interval of 21 weeks between receipt of notice of appeal (or application for leave to appeal) and hearing by the full court. While every effort is being made to get appeals ready for hearing as quickly as possible, the continuing and substantial increase in the number of cases and the resulting pressure on court shorthand writers makes it difficult to reduce these periods.
Figures for appeals from magistrates' courts to Quarter Sessions are not available.
§ Mr. Oakesasked the Attorney-General whether priority is given in criminal appeals to those appellants in custody as distinct from those on bail.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe fact that the appellant is in custody is one of the factors which the court normally takes into account, but there are other factors which may make it necessary to treat an appeal as urgent.
§ Mr. Oakesasked the Attorney-General how many appeals in criminal matters are expected to be adjourned because of the long vacation; and how many of the appellants are in custody and how many have been remanded on bail, respectively.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI assume that the hon. Member's Question relates to appeals to the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. No such appeals are likely to be adjourned because of the long vacation. Cases are listed for hearing as 51W soon as they are ready and it is expected that all cases ready for hearing by the early part of August will be disposed of by the court during its August sittings. Similarly, it is expected that cases ready for hearing by September will be disposed of by the court during its September sittings. In addition, it is anticipated that during the long vacation approximately 700 "single judge" applications will be dealt with by the Judges of the Queen's Bench Division.
The number of pending cases before the court at the beginning of the long vacation cannot be precisely estimated, but it is expected that the total number of persons who will have given notice to the court, but whose cases will not have been finally disposed of by the end of this term, will be between 1,500 and 1,700. Of these, the numbers released on bail are likely to be about 10.