§ Mr. GarnierTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in what proportion of contested cases triable either way, which were tried in the crown court for each of the last five years where data are available, the defendant was acquitted(a) by the jury after deliberation and (b) on the direction of the judge; [104232]
(2) in what proportion of contested cases triable either way, which were tried in the magistrates' court for each of the last five years where data are available, the defendant was acquitted. [104231]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeNo regular statistics are collected on this. However, there is some information available from the baseline data collected by the Home Office in 1998 for the evaluation of the pilot schemes to reduce delay in the criminal justice system. In a sample of contested trials for either-way offences in the six pilot areas, 40 per cent. of defendants were acquitted by the jury and 5 per cent. were acquitted on the direction of the judge in the Crown Court. The acquittal rate in the magistrates court was 32 per cent.