§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of cases of shoplifting brought before (a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts, resulted in acquittals, for each of the last five years.
§ Mr. JohnThe information available is as follows:
PROPORTION OF PERSONS TRIED FOR OFFENCES OF SHOPLIFTING WHO WERE ACQUITTED England and Wales1971–1975 Percentages Magistrates Courts Crown Court 1971 … … … 5 33 1972 … … … 5 32 1973 … … … 5 36 1974 … … … 5 32 1975 … … … 5 31 Figures for 1976 are not yet available.
These percentages are affected by the much higher proportion pleading guilty at magistrates' courts than at the Crown court. The proportion of persons who plead not guilty to shoplifting and are acquitted is about the same for magistrates' courts and the Crown court.