§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Attorney-General what is the average time defendants committed for trial in the Northern Ireland courts wait before their case is heard; and what is the corresponding figure for each year to date since and including 1969.
§ The Attorney-GeneralStatistics in the form requested by my hon. Friend have only been collected since 1979 when my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor became responsible for the administration of the courts in Northern Ireland.
The average time between committal for trial in the Northern Ireland courts and arraignment is currently 11 weeks. The corresponding figures for each year since 1979 are as follows:
Weeks 1979 13 1980 8 1981 8 1982 9 1983 11 1984 11 The interval between arraignment and the commencement of the trial proper varies from one week to, in exceptional cases, over two years depending on the complexity of the case and the availability of counsel of the defendant's choice.