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<p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) case outcome records compiled in the Case Management
System include an allocation of a principal reason for finalised prosecutions not
resulting in a conviction (non-conviction outcomes), including the numbers which failed
for public interest reasons.</p><p>The CPS does not have a specific reason accounting
for delays in criminal trials. However, the category ‘Other charge/indictment; loss/harm
minor from single incident; delay between offence/charge and trial’ may be allocated.
This can apply where there has been a delay since the commission of the offence, or
since the defendant was charged, leading either to the case being dropped by the CPS,
or stopped by the court on the grounds of abuse of process. It is not possible to
further disaggregate these reasons.</p><p>The table below shows the number of defendants
allocated this reason in each of the last five years, and the six months April to
September 2020</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2015-2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016-2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-2018</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018-2019</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019-2020</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>April
- Sept 2020</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other charge/indictment, loss/harm minor
from single incident, delay between offence/charge and trial</p></td><td><p>5,706</p></td><td><p>4,711</p></td><td><p>4,011</p></td><td><p>4,194</p></td><td><p>4,417</p></td><td><p>6,107</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>%
Other charge/indictment, loss/harm minor from single incident, delay between offence/charge
and trial</p></td><td><p>0.9%</p></td><td><p>0.8%</p></td><td><p>0.8%</p></td><td><p>0.8%</p></td><td><p>1.0%</p></td><td><p>4.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total
Non-Conviction Outcomes</p></td><td><p>107,579</p></td><td><p>94,692</p></td><td><p>84,834</p></td><td><p>80,474</p></td><td><p>70,816</p></td><td><p>21,857</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>%
Non-Conviction Outcomes</p></td><td><p>16.9%</p></td><td><p>16.1%</p></td><td><p>15.9%</p></td><td><p>16.3%</p></td><td><p>15.7%</p></td><td><p>15.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total
Completed Prosecution Outcomes</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>637,778</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>588,021</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>533,161</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>494,811</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>451,046</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>141,885</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Data
Source: CPS Case Management Information System</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Between
April and September 2020, the volume of completed prosecution outcomes reduced due
to court closures and social distancing. However, the volume of cases dropped by the
CPS are not as reliant on court hearings and were less impacted.</p><p>In response
to COVID-19 the CPS introduced an <em>Interim Case Review Guidance on the Application
of the Public Interest</em>, as part of the COVID-19 crisis response. The guidance
is to be applied for charging decisions, including decisions on whether to continue
or discontinue a case that has already been charged. The guidance advises that when
considering the question of whether a prosecution is a proportionate response, prosecutors
should do so in the context of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including
the potential delay to criminal proceedings. Application of the principles set out
in this guidance may have contributed to an increase in the proportion of cases dropped
under the category of ‘Other charge/indictment; loss/harm minor from single incident;
delay between offence/charge and trial’.</p>
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