NCJ Number
143667
Journal
Journal of Law and Society Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1993) Pages: 237-252
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report describes the results of a British Home Office-sponsored research project into the scheduling arrangements for cases heard in magistrates' courts.
Abstract
The study was based on an analysis of eight magistrates' courts in England. At each court, interviews were conducted with the justices' clerks, assistant clerks, Crown Prosecution Service, defense solicitors, magistrates, and the police to determine their scheduling procedures. The interviews and observation provided an overall impression of the culture of each court. In addition, data were collected on the outcomes of cases scheduled for trial over a 2-month period. The analysis focused on three objectives for scheduling and on the potential conflicts between them: the maximizing of convenience for the various parties involved in court proceedings, the minimization of delay in completing cases, and the maximization of efficiency in the use of court resources. The study found that the organizational culture of the court had a profound impact on scheduling performance, particularly on the level of delay and collapsed trials. Courts that emphasized strategic negotiation with professional users apparently were more efficient in their use of court time and heard more full trials and disposed of more trial cases on the day they were listed; unless this was backed up by high control, however, such courts may well have had worse delay. 4 tables, 6 exhibits, and 17 notes and references