§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General what action has been taken to reduce the number of(a) judge-ordered and (b) judge-directed acquittals since 1999. [602031
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 10 June 2002]In 1999, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) introduced an adverse outcome analysis system. This provides CPS areas with a consistent means to identify reasons for adverse outcomes and also to allocate responsibility of any failure. This information is collated centrally.
For the last seven years, many areas of the CPS have had in place, with the police, a system of joint performance management that involves an appraisal of Crown court acquittals, including those ordered and 504W directed by the judge. This process provides areas with information showing particular trends and a means by which improvements can be made.
The Crown Prosecution Service produces quarterly summaries of unsuccessful case outcomes from information drawn from its various case tracking systems. This year the CPS and the police have begun to develop a joint case outcome analysis which builds on these two processes and will focus on avoidable case failure. Under this system., the reasons for judge ordered and judge directed acquittals in individual cases will be jointly assessed for individual training needs and other joint strategies for performance improvement.
The process will be supported by more sophisticated management information following the introduction of the CPS' Compass Case Management System due to roll out between April and December 2003.
The figures in the table show a fall in judge directed acquittals from 1,777 in 1999 to 1,471 last year, a reduction of 17.2 per cent. Over the same period judge ordered acquittals rose from 9,616 to 11,825, an increase of 23 per cent. Much of this increase can be attributed to recent changes in procedures. Since January 2001, the prosecution, unlike before, have been able to discontinue cases in the Crown court. Although this is a prosecution decision, the current system records these as judge ordered acquittals.
Judge ordered and judge directed acquittals 1999–2002 Number Percentage of completed cases 1999–2000 Judge ordered acquittals 9,616 11.1 Judge directed acquittals 1,777 2.0 2000–01 Judge ordered acquittals 10,145 12.3 Judge directed acquittals 1,755 2.1 2001–02 Judge ordered acquittals 11,825 14.0 Judge directed acquittals 1,471 1.7