As part of the wider arrangements for the review and monitoring of the summary criminal reforms, the Board gave an undertaking to publish figures showing the numbers of applications received for the various types of summary criminal legal assistance.
We can now provide details of the numbers of applications received for grants of advice and assistance, assistance by way of representation (ABWOR), and summary criminal legal aid for July to November 2008. This follows the implementation of the reform of summary criminal legal assistance on 30 June 2008. Also shown for comparison purposes are the applications received for April, May and June, and the monthly average for 2007/08.
| |
Monthly average 2007-2008 |
April 08 |
May 08 |
June 08 |
July 08 |
August 08 |
Sept
08 |
Oct 08 |
Nov 08 |
|
Jan 09 |
Feb 09 |
|
| Grants of criminal advice and assistance |
8,143 |
8,137 |
7,923 |
8,368 |
4,322 |
2,904 |
3,019 |
2,881 |
2,600 |
2396 |
2,379 |
2,500 |
2,679 |
|
| Grants of ABWOR |
1,535 |
1,740 |
1,487 |
1,377 |
3,443 |
3,749 |
3,819 |
3,907 |
3,656 |
3,563 |
4,048 |
4,076 |
4,435 |
| Applications for summary criminal legal aid |
6,552 |
6,847 |
6,319 |
6,491 |
5,069 |
4,480 |
4,819 |
5,170 |
4,675 |
4,766 |
5,213 |
5,216 |
5,639 |
| Total grants of ABWOR and applications for summary criminal legal aid |
8,087 |
8,587 |
7,806 |
7,868 |
8,512 |
8,229 |
8,638 |
9,077 |
8,331 |
8,329 |
9,261 |
9,337 |
10,704 |
The figures for July 2008 to March 2009 show that average grants of criminal advice and assistance have fallen by 65% compared to April to June 2008, while grants of criminal ABWOR have increased by 152%. Average applications for summary criminal legal aid fell by 24% in the same period. Our costing work was on the basis of a 20% shift from summary criminal legal aid to ABWOR.
Summary criminal grant rates
The following table shows the grant rates for summary criminal cases for the same months, and for 2007-2008, split by court type:
| |
2007-08 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept
08 |
Oct
08 |
Nov
08 |
Dec 08 |
Jan 09 |
Feb 09 |
|
Sheriff Court |
93% |
97% |
95% |
96% |
95% |
97% |
96% |
95% |
96% |
96% |
97% |
96% |
96% |
Stipendiary Magistrates Court |
87.7% |
93% |
88% |
96% |
88% |
93% |
96% |
94% |
93% |
92% |
90% |
95% |
92% |
District/JP Court |
73.1% |
73% |
73% |
77% |
77% |
82% |
78% |
80% |
83% |
82% |
78% |
86% |
84% |
All Courts |
89.5% |
92% |
92% |
93% |
92% |
94% |
94% |
93% |
94% |
93% |
93% |
93% |
94% |
Breakdown of court type for summary criminal applications received
The following table shows the breakdown of the court types for the summary criminal grant applications received same months, and for 2007/8, split by court type:
| |
|
|
|
June 08 |
|
|
|
Oct
08 |
Nov
08 |
Dec
08 |
Jan
09 |
Feb 09 |
Mar 09 |
Sheriff Court
|
80% |
79% |
79% |
79% |
81% |
82% |
81% |
81% |
79% |
80% |
81% |
79% |
77% |
| Stipendiary Magistrates Court |
4% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
5% |
5% |
5% |
5% |
5% |
5% |
6% |
| District/JP Court |
16% |
18% |
18% |
17% |
15% |
14% |
14% |
14% |
16% |
15% |
14% |
16% |
17% |
| All Courts |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
The court split of summary criminal applications, received during December showed some slight changes, compared to November. JP court case rose to 17% of the total applications, stipendiary magistrates cases rose to 6%, and sheriff court cases fell slightly to 77%.
Last updated 24 April 2009. |
