HC Deb 17 December 1993 vol 234 cc950-1W
Mr. Dunn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants have been convicted in(a) the magistrates courts and (b) the Crown courts in each of the last seven years; how many cases have been dismissed in the magistrates courts and how many acquittals there have been in the Crown courts; and what each figure represents as a percentage of the cases brought.

Mr. Maclean

The information is given in the tables.

Year/result Indictable Summary non-motoring Summary motoring All offences
Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent
1987 Prosecutions 485,175 100 499,920 100 829,135 100 1,814,230 100
Found guilty 297,696 61 425,960 85 721,675 87 1,445,331 80
Dismissed 14,832 3 12,343 2 13,152 2 40,327 2
1988 Prosecutions 491,455 100 537,836 100 808,901 100 1,838,192 100
Found guilty 292,581 60 451,317 84 699,618 86 1,443,516 79
Dismissed 16,218 3 13,599 3 13,654 2 43,471 2
1989 Prosecutions 445,742 100 563,641 100 827,713 100 1,837,096 100
Found guilty 253,646 57 466,937 83 705,905 85 1,426,488 78
Dismissed 15,282 3 15,979 3 15,585 2 46,846 3
1990 Prosecutions 464,939 100 571,737 100 828,272 100 1,865,948 100
Found guilty 259,412 56 461,102 81 690,273 83 1,410,787 76
Dismissed 16,601 4 17,476 3 17,387 2 51,464 3
1991 Prosecutions 486,241 100 567,862 100 876,790 100 1,930,893 100
Found guilty 257,512 53 448,234 79 699,156 80 1,404,902 73
Dismissed 18,916 4 18,349 3 22,186 3 59,451 3
1992 Prosecutions 487,636 100 595,784 100 921,909 100 2,005,329 100
Found guilty 247,282 51 465,795 78 710,227 77 1,423,304 71
Dismissed 19,338 4 19,153 3 25,512 3 64,003 3

Note:

Found guilty and Dismissed will not total to Prosecutions which also includes "discontinuances", "discharge under section 6 of the M agistrates' Courts Act 1980", "charge withdrawn" and "committed for trial".

Table B
Persons tried at the Crown Court for all offences by type of offence and result 1986–1992 England and Wales
Year/result Indictable Summary non-motoring Summary motoring All offences
Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent
1986 Tried 96,768 100 — — — — 96,768 100
Found guilty 79,444 82 — — — — 79,444 82
Acquitted 14,657 15 — — — — 14,657 15
1987 Tried 103,406 100 — — — — 103,406 100
Found guilty 86,254 83 — — — — 86,254 83
Acquitted 14,759 14 — — — — 14,579 14
1988 Tried 110,483 100 — — — — 110,483 100
Found guilty 90,996 82 — — — — 90,996 82
Acquitted 16,737 15 — — — — 16,737 15
1989 Tried 101,700 100 1,653 100 996 100 104,349 100
Found guilty 83,049 82 1,638 99 930 93 85,617 82
Acquitted 16,401 16 14 1 55 6 16,470 16
1990 Tried 98,895 100 2,322 100 588 100 101,805 100
Found guilty 80,263 81 2,299 99 587 100 83,149 82
Acquitted 16,458 17 20 1 1 0 16,479 16
1991 Tried 96,915 100 2,347 100 624 100 99,886 100
Found guilty 77,882 80 2,324 99 617 99 80,823 81
Acquitted 16,893 17 20 1 7 1 16,920 17
1992 Tried 95,134 100 2,035 100 531 100 97,700 100
Found guilty 75,556 79 2,018 99 525 99 78,099 80
Acquitted 17,157 18 13 1 6 1 17,176 18

Note:

  1. (a) Found guilty and Acquitted will not total to Tried which also includes "not tried".
  2. (b) From 1989 onwards sections 40 and 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 allowed certain summary offences to be dealt with at the Crown court if related to a charge for an offence either triable on indictment or triable either way.