Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
The Department explained how the longer victims wait for their case to be heard in...
Conclusion
The Department explained how the longer victims wait for their case to be heard in court, the greater the risk the victim withdraws their support of the process and the case collapses.34 It told us that the proportion of cases collapsing through victim or witness attrition fell in the last quarter, to 1.2% of cases between April and June 2021. However, the rates of victim and witness attrition are large and increasing in other parts of the criminal justice process: some 29% of cases collapse because of victim and witness attrition between the crime being recorded and the police deciding whether to proceed with the case, and a further 16% of cases collapse between the police referring the case to the Crown Prosecution Service and a defendant being charged.35 The Bar Council expressed particular concern about the increasing time for the Crown Prosecution Service to charge rape cases.36
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2023 6.2 The first local criminal justice system scorecards for all crime and adult rape were published in March 2022, bringing together data from across the system for the first time. The scorecards will be published on a quarterly basis to increase transparency, increase understanding of the system, and support collaboration particularly at a local level. 6.3 As part of the wider programme of work on the criminal justice system, the department has recently overhauled its governance structures to increase accountability and drive forward progress in priority areas. These groups will be responsible for ensuring the scorecard is a valuable tool which will facilitate a shared cross-system understanding of progress across the system, and support collaboration both at a national and local level. 6.4 In collecting and presenting this data in one place, the government fully recognises the operational independence of those organisations which have provided data. The transparency that the scorecards offer enables collaboration by providing a cross-system view of progress, including measures that matter to victims, such as how long it takes cases to progress. 6.5 Metrics in the scorecard are grouped in priority areas aligning with the outcomes the government commits to achieve, in partnership with criminal justice system agencies: improving timeliness, increasing victim engagement and improving quality. 6.6 The department hopes to improve victim experience and reduce the number of victims dropping out of the system. The scorecards will measure, for example, the percentage of investigations that are closed because a victim withdraws support before an investigation is completed. This will allow the department to ensure that victims are supported in the best possible way whilst they engage with the criminal justice system. 6.7 The department will use the data in the scorecard to identify and understand disparities across local and regional areas, enabling the sharing of best practice to help local criminal justice agencies drive improvements. 6.8 The scorecards represent a transformative change to the way data is used to ensure a common understanding of the criminal justice system. The department has ambitious plans to significantly improve the quality of data, and is currently developing better metrics to measure progress, especially around victim experience. The scorecards are iterative and will be improved as further insights are gained on the indicators which best reflect the whole system.