Recent performance

A summary of our performance is shown below. More detailed information on our local targets can be found in the Area Business Plan.

The information below is based on the most recent figures available. This is for the first quarter of this year (April-June 2004) unless otherwise stated.

Case outcomes

Our performance is measured in terms of whether the outcome of a case was successful. We aim to keep the number of cases with unsuccessful outcomes as low as possible.

• The total percentage of cases with unsuccessful outcomes in the Magistrates' Court (10%) is lower than other CPS areas nationally (20%)
• The total percentage of cases with unsuccessful outcomes in the Crown Court (26%) is slightly higher than other CPS Areas nationally (24%).

Trials

There are many different reasons why trials can be 'ineffective' which means that they do not go ahead on the day or are adjourned to another date for the trial to go ahead.

The most common reason for this is that the defendant or witnesses do not turn up to court.

We are striving to keep the numberof ineffective trials as low as possible and the figures for the second quarter of the year (July to September 2004) show that this is being achieved:

• The ineffective trial rate in the Magistrates' Court is at an all-time low of 22% (the CPS target is 24.5%).
• The ineffective trial rate in the Crown Court is 7% (well below the CPS target is 18.5%).

Discontinued cases

There are many different reasons why cases are discontinued, for example, due to lack of evidence or witnesses not turning up at court.

• We discontinue less cases in the Magistrates' Court (7%) than other CPS Areas nationally (13%).
• We discontinue less cases in the Crown Court (10%) than other CPS Areas nationally (14%).

Persistent Young Offenders

The government has set the timescale in which Persistent Young Offenders should be dealt with by the Criminal Justice System: within 71 days from arrest to sentence.

We are working with our partners in the Criminal Justice System to ensure that Persistent Young Offenders in this county are being successfully dealt with within this timescale:

• The average length of time in which Persistent Young Offenders were dealt with was 58 days, well within the 71-day target.