Written question asked by Humfrey Malins (Conservative) on Tuesday, 8 January 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 10 January 2008. It was answered by Maria Eagle (Labour) on Monday, 14 January 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Crown Courts

Question: (2) what percentage of prosecutions in magistrates courts in England and Wales resulted in dismissal following the Crown offering no evidence at the start of the trial in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Answer: During the 12 month period ending in November 2007 there was a late change of plea to guilty at the start of the trial in 25.9 per cent. of all cases listed for trial (9,662 of 37,266) in the Crown courts in England and Wales. This figure includes all trials where a late guilty plea was entered in respect of the original charge, but not those where the prosecution accepted a guilty plea in respect of an alternative charge.During the same period, 5.5 per cent. of all trials (10,399 out of 189,138) recorded in the magistrates courts in England and Wales did not proceed owing to the prosecution ending the case because of insufficient evidence.

Secondary information