Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases have been adjourned in (a) magistrates courts and (b) crown courts in each of the last 12 months.

The number of adjourned cases in the magistrates’ and Crown Court fluctuates from month to month and is dependent upon the volume and type of cases received and the plea entered.

The information requested about the number of cases which have been adjourned in (a) magistrate’s courts and (b) crown courts in each of the last 12 months can be found in the tables below.

Magistrates Court (12 months available for published statistics.)

Source: HMCTS Management Information

Data Notes:

- Data are taken from a live management information system and can change over time.

- Data are management information and are not subject to the same level of checks as official statistics.

- The data provided is the most recent available and for that reason might differ slightly from any previously published information.

- The data provided is a count of Cases Heard, rather than Defendants

The data supplied includes cases which were Adjourned, Remanded in Custody/On Bail or Remitted for a further hearing as well as cases originally listed under the Single Justice Procedure which were subsequently adjourned for a Summons to be issued for a Court Hearing (SUMRTH & SUMRTO).

- Where a Case is Adjourned in different months then each Adjournment is counted once in each month.

Crown Court (12 months available for published statistics.)

Source: HMCTS Management Information

Data Notes:

- Data are taken from a live management information system and can change over time.

- Data are management information and are not subject to the same level of checks as official statistics.

- The data provided is the most recent available and for that reason might differ slightly from any previously published information.

- A hearing has been counted as adjourned where the data field is adjourned and has been marked as 'Y'

- If a case is adjourned in different months each adjournment is counted for each month.

- If a case involves more than one defendant and only one has their case adjourned then it has been counted in the above figures.

Data has not been cross referenced with case files.