Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average (a) daily and (b) annual cost of a trial in the crown court was in each of the last five years.

The estimated average total cost of a Crown Court sitting day in each of last five financial years is shown in the table below.

The average daily cost of a crown court trial is not separable from average cost of a Crown Court sitting day. However, the full average cost of a trial cannot be reliably quantified from available management information sources.

These costs include all relevant operational costs borne by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), including a proportional share of the cost of operating the court building. However, other HMCTS corporate overheads such as IT and headquarters functions are excluded. Costs borne by other agencies in the criminal justice system (e.g. spending on legal aid, or by the Crown Prosecution Service) are also excluded.