Important Notes:
Figures are computed from a live database and may change due to late returns and further validations.
Date of disposal is based on the date of sentencing, date of acquittal or date a bill of indictment is not proceeded with.
Waiting times do not exclude recess.
There were 344 Crown cases received during October to December 2009. This is a 15% increase on the 298 received during October to December 2008. The number of cases dealt with has decreased by 4% from 398 in October to December 2008, to 384 in 2009 (Figure 1).
436 defendants were received in the Crown Court during October to December 2009 (a 21% increase on the same period last year, when 361 were received). 473 defendants were dealt with during October to December 2009 (a decrease of 9% compared with the same period last year, when 520 defendants were dealt with).
The average time from committal to hearing for October to December 2009 was 111 days, compared with 142 days for the same period in 2008. The average time from conviction to disposal was 38 days, compared with 46 days for the same period in 2008.
County Court Judges disposed of 97% of defendants (461). 11% of defendants were charged solely with drug offences while 39% of defendants had a combination of charges.
Of the 473 defendants disposed, 216 (46%) pleaded guilty to all charges.
In total there were 687 Crown Court sittings for October to December 2009 in comparison with 753 for October to December 2008 (a decrease of 9%), with a total time of 2074 hours sat during October to December 2009, compared with 1946 hours sat during the same period in 2008.
| Year | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 315 |
| 2006 | 390 |
| 2007 | 466 |
| 2008 | 398 |
| 2009 | 384 |
| Total | |
|---|---|
| Belfast | 116 |
| Londonderry | 42 |
| Antrim | 36 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 61 |
| Armagh and South Down | 29 |
| Ards | 32 |
| Craigavon | 28 |
| Total | 344 |
| Total | |
|---|---|
| Belfast | 125 |
| Londonderry | 41 |
| Antrim | 50 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 55 |
| Armagh and South Down | 26 |
| Ards | 40 |
| Craigavon | 47 |
| Total | 384 |
| Total | |
|---|---|
| Belfast | 160 |
| Londonderry | 54 |
| Antrim | 38 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 76 |
| Armagh and South Down | 35 |
| Ards | 34 |
| Craigavon | 39 |
| Total | 436 |
| Total | |
|---|---|
| Belfast | 148 |
| Londonderry | 51 |
| Antrim | 65 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 69 |
| Armagh and South Down | 35 |
| Ards | 44 |
| Craigavon | 61 |
| Total | 473 |
| Committal to hearing - days | Conviction to disposal - days | Total defendants disposed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 126 | 52 | 141 |
| Londonderry | 77 | 36 | 46 |
| Antrim | 127 | 43 | 59 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 104 | 30 | 64 |
| Armagh and South Down | 84 | 29 | 34 |
| Ards | 123 | 27 | 43 |
| Craigavon | 102 | 27 | 56 |
| Total | 111 | 38 | 443 |
[1] Excludes defendants who had a bench warrant or deferred sentence
| Judicial Level | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| County Court Judge | High Court Judge | ||
| Belfast | 142 | 6 | 148 |
| Londonderry | 46 | 5 | 51 |
| Antrim | 64 | 1 | 65 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 69 | 0 | 69 |
| Armagh and South Down | 35 | 0 | 35 |
| Ards | 44 | 0 | 44 |
| Craigavon | 61 | 0 | 61 |
| Total | 461 | 12 | 473 |
| All Offences Against the Person | 73 |
| All Sexual Offences | 44 |
| All Burglary Offences | 22 |
| All Robbery Offences | 13 |
| All Theft Offences | 27 |
| All Fraud and Forgery Offences | 11 |
| All Criminal Damage Offences | 8 |
| All Offences Against the State | 1 |
| All Other Offences | 15 |
| All Drug Offences | 52 |
| All Motoring Offences | 20 |
| All Non-Police Offences | 4 |
| Combination of charges | 183 |
| Total | 473 |
| Plea of guilty on all charges | Plea of not guilty on at least one charge - found guilty on at least one charge | Plea not guilty - acquitted on all charges | All charges withdrawn | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 69 | 49 | 30 | 0 | 148 |
| Londonderry | 22 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 51 |
| Antrim | 38 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 65 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 23 | 37 | 9 | 0 | 69 |
| Armagh and South Down | 9 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 35 |
| Ards | 27 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 44 |
| Craigavon | 28 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 61 |
| Total | 216 | 188 | 65 | 4 | 473 |
| Number of sittings | Total time | |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 266 | 851:00 |
| Londonderry | 65 | 157:03 |
| Antrim | 104 | 433:29 |
| Fermanagh and Tyrone | 71 | 201:43 |
| Armagh and South Down | 39 | 90:45 |
| Ards | 70 | 118:09 |
| Craigavon | 72 | 221:31 |
| Total | 687 | 2073:40 |