Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Deferred
Paragraph: 25
Conduct rapid review into Crown Court case entry numbers and remand population impact
Recommendation
We recognise that the pandemic led to delays in court hearings which have contributed to a growing remand population. However, it is important to stress that the remand population has been growing despite a decrease in the number of cases entering the Crown Court, and we are concerned that the impact of higher police numbers and a return to pre-pandemic case levels may lead to further increases in the remand population. In view of the risk of case levels increasing, we recommend that the Government conducts a rapid review to understand why the number of cases entering the Crown Court remains depressed, what the risks are of the number of cases increasing again, and to model the effect of changes in the number of cases entering the system on the remand population.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government rejected the recommendation for a rapid review into Crown Court case levels and remand population, stating it is not appropriate for them to mandate or direct judicial training as the judiciary is independent and responsible for its own training.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
25
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Service (HMPPS), His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) We reject this recommendation. The Department (MoJ) agrees on the importance of understanding the risk of the volume of cases entering the Crown Court increasing. However, work is already undertaken to consider the evidence and risks, and the potential impact on the remand population has been modelled within our published prison population projections. We therefore do not believe a rapid evidence review is necessary. Predicting future crime trends and the projected behaviour of the justice system will always involve uncertainty. The MoJ regularly works with our Criminal Justice System partners to gather the latest insights surrounding future police and prosecutorial activity to better understand the possible future level and composition of demand entering the court system, including the potential remand population, and to support wider departmental planning. The MoJ’s prison population projections publication, published at the end of February 2023, utilises this insight to consider and demonstrate the impact on the remand population of three different demand scenarios (in terms of level and composition) hitting the court system. The MoJ will continue to review the latest data and insights and consider the implications of these for the remand population. Legislative framework and the courts
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