HC Deb 23 July 2004 vol 424 cc850-1W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the proportion of contested cases triable either-way in the magistrates court that resulted in acquittal in(a) the Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in each of the last five years. [183591]

Paul Goggins

Information collected centrally by the Home Office does not contain details on defendants' plea at magistrates courts (nor therefore data on the number of contested cases).

The available information contained in the table provides figures for the number of defendants who pleaded "not guilty" to a triable either-way offence (where that offence was the principal offence) at the Crown court, and the number who were acquitted, in England and Wales, for the years 1998 to 2002.

Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Number of defendants1 who pleaded "not guilty"2 at the Crown

court, who were acquitted3 for triable either-way only offences,

England and Wales 1998 to 2002
Number of

defendants who

pleaded not

guilty

 Number of

defendants who

pleaded not

guilty who were

acquitted

 Proportion of

defendants

pleading not

guilty who were

acquitted

(Percentage)
1998 21,501 12,578 58
1999 21,324 12,847 60
2000 21,493 13,477 63
Number of defendants1 who pleaded "not guilty"2 at the Crown

court, who were acquitted3 for triable either-way only offences,

England and Wales 1998 to 2002
Number of

defendants who

pleaded not

guilty

 Number of

defendants who

pleaded not

guilty who were

acquitted

 Proportion of

defendants

pleading not

guilty who were

acquitted

(Percentage)
2001 20,863 13,230 63
2002 19,076 11,771 62
1 Table excludes the figures of those defendants who pleaded "not guilty" who were not tried.
2 Not guilty plea to the principal offence.
3 Acquitted—includes, not guilty, no evidence offered, charge withdrawn, judge rules no case to answer.