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<p>The information requested about Crown Court waiting times can be found in the attached
excel document. However, due to small numbers of defendants pleading not guilty to
sexual offences at magistrates’ court, we are unable to supply the average time between
first listing and trial start date – basing an average on such small numbers can skew
the mean and result in the figures being unrepresentative<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>The
overall median waiting time in Crown Courts for defendants in sexual offence cases
tends to be higher than that for other offences due to a lower guilty plea rate for
these cases. However, from a peak of 25.9 weeks in Quarter three 2018, the average
waiting time has fallen by 12% to 22.7 weeks in Quarter one 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Performance,
demand and waiting times in the courts are constantly reviewed to balance sitting
days with waiting times, disposals and receipts. Resources are adjusted when required.
Demand has been falling in recent years and sitting days have been reduced accordingly.
Waiting times for trials in the Crown Court for 2018 have been the lowest since 2014,
despite the challenge of increasingly complex cases.</p>
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