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Courts Service: Key Performance Indicators

The following list of key performance indicators have been set for Her Majesty's Courts Service for 2007-08:* improve the percentage of defendants’ cases that commence within a specific time in the Crown Court, so that (a) 78 per cent committed for trial commence within 16 weeks of committal; and (b) 78 per cent sent for trial commence within 26 weeks of sending; simplify and speed up criminal cases in the magistrates’ courts so that by the end of 2008 most guilty plea cases are dealt with at the first hearing; most contested cases have no more than two hearings; and the majority of simple charged cases take from a day to six weeks (on average) from charge to disposal; ensure that 95 per cent of court registers in the magistrates’ court are produced and dispatched within three days and all cases cleared within six days; reduce the proportion of disputed civil claims in the courts that are ultimately resolved by a hearing to 38.5 per cent; ensure that 81.5 per cent of small claims cases are heard within 15 weeks; and ensure that 48 per cent of public law care cases in the county court and 56 per cent in the magistrates’ court are completed within 40 weeks. Copies of the HM Courts Service business plan for 2007-08 have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. "* More information on these and other key supporting targets are published in the strategic and business plans, which includes how HMCS helps to deliver PSA1 and 2 (joint criminal justice system targets)."