NCJ Number
138794
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The British Criminal Justice Act, 1988, reclassified certain offenses, including common assault, unauthorized taking of a motor vehicle, criminal damage, and driving while disqualified, as summary offenses, depriving defendants of their right to elect for trial at the crown court. This report examines the effect of the reclassification on crown court caseloads.
Abstract
The findings showed that the number of defendants tried at the crown court fell by 5 percent, while prosecutions at magistrates' courts increased for summary offenses while falling for indictable offenses. The reduction in crown court cases was greatest for defendants younger than 21. The statistics indicated that half the caseload reduction was due to the offense reclassification of unauthorized taking of a motor vehicle. The Criminal Justice Act reclassification resulted in a 2 percent decrease in the number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody, a 25 percent reduction in average sentence length, and a 700-person decrease in the prison population. 8 tables and 4 notes