§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the non-attendance of witnesses and defendants in Merseyside. [170534]
§ Paul GogginsThe Government's Criminal Case Management Programme will reduce the non-attendance of defendants and witnesses. It is made up of three complementary strands: ensuring that charges are858W more appropriately brought; providing victims and witnesses with proper care and attention; and ensuring that trials are effectively managed.
Witness care units are currently at the planning stage in Merseyside and will be introduced for Crown courts towards the end of this year and in the magistrates courts in 2005. As part of its delivery plan to improve public confidence in the criminal justice system, Merseyside Criminal Justice Board carried out a survey examining reasons for witness non-attendance. The results will be used as part of the planning process for the introduction of witness care units. For example, one petty sessional area found that if witnesses were contacted by telephone shortly before they were due to appear, attendance increased, and consequently, this practice is being rolled out across Merseyside.
The Effective Trial Management Programme will be implemented in Merseyside in November. It includes specific measures to improve defendant attendance at court hearings through the early communication of the benefits of co-operating with the process and the potential consequences of non-attendance, as well as improved enforcement procedures for non-attendance.
There are a number of warrant enforcement initiatives in place in Merseyside to ensure that defendants are brought to justice for failing to appear in court. Bench warrants in Merseyside are circulated on the Police National Computer as soon as they are received from the courts, with priority given to persistent offender and street crime offences. Merseyside police have also run Operation 'Cardsharp' in which defendants were sent letters following their failure to appear, informing them that a warrant had been issued and advising them to surrender to the court or face police visits. This initiative proved to be a success, with defendants surrendering themselves to the court after receiving the letter, and over 1,000 warrants executed in the month the operation was running. It is continuing to operate successfully in Merseyside, and has now been recognised as best practice nationally.