§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for each year since 1990, in what percentage of either-way cases that went to trial 209W before a jury the defendant was found guilty; and what the percentage conviction rate was in such cases for (a) white defendants and (b) black and ethnic minority defendants; [100249]
(2) in each year since 1990, what was the average length of sentence imposed on defendants found guilty in either-way cases that went to trial before a jury; and what was the average length sentence imposed in such cases on (a) white defendants and (b) black and ethnic minority defendants; [100251]
(3) what was the conviction rate for (a) white defendants and (b) black and ethnic minority defendants appearing before magistrates' courts for each year since 1990. [100250]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Home Office collected data on disposals at magistrates' courts by ethnicity of defendant in 1998 in 11 police force areas. These are pilot studies and work is required to address data quality problems. However, information from four of the areas (Lancashire, Leicestershire, Northumbria and West Yorkshire (Bradford and Keighley)) will be published in "Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System" on 9 December 1999. The information will cover prosecutions and sentencing for indictable offences. It shows that for cases disposed of (other than by committal) at magistrates' courts, the conviction rate is 67 per cent. for white defendants and 57 per cent. for black defendants.
Copies of the publication will be sent to the Library.
No national information from the Crown Court is available by ethnic group although pilots are under way. Crown Court information from the Home Office Court proceedings Database is given in the table.
Defendants pleading not guilty1 to triable either way offences at the Crown Court, England and Wales, 1995–98 Year Percentage of found guilty Percentage of those found guilty given a custodial sentence Average custodial sentence length (months) 19952 43 57 24.7 1996 44 61 25.0 1997 41 62 27.6 1998 38 62 28.3 1 Pleaded not guilty to principal offence; some of those found not guilty may not have been tried by a jury (eg the judge may have ordered or directed an acquittal). 2 Plea data only available from July 1995