§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General what the discontinuance rate was in magistrates court cases in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [128861]
§ The Solicitor-GeneralDiscontinuances—those cases in which a decision is made not to proceed before evidence is heard by the court—fell from 16.2 per cent. of all magistrates court cases prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service in magistrates courts in 2001–02 to 15.5 per cent. in 2002–03. These figures include cases in which the defendant was bound over without a trial being held.
§ Mrs Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General what percentage of prosecutions in the magistrates courts secured a conviction in 2002–03; and how many defendants pleaded or were found guilty. [128855]
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§ The Solicitor-GeneralIn 2002–03 the Crown Prosecution Service secured convictions in 76.8 per cent. of all prosecutions in the magistrates courts. This figure comprised 811,583 guilty pleas and 166,909 verdicts of guilty after trial.