Trials
(asked on 1st March 2019) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court cases have proceeded in the absence of a defendant in each of the last five years.
The tables below show the number of trials heard in the absence of the defendant in magistrates’ courts and in the Crown Court.
Trials heard in absence of a defendant in a magistrates’ court | ||||
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 (January- September) |
12,443 | 14,132 | 13,743 | 13,981 | 10,262 |
Trials heard in absence of a defendant in the Crown Court | ||||
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 (January- September) |
21 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 12 |
In the Magistrates’, the court can proceed with a trial in the absence of the defendant unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice. In the Crown Court, the judge has the discretion to permit a trial to proceed in the defendant’s absence.
The priority is to ensure the case can be concluded fairly and that victims, witnesses, and the public can see justice being done.