Reducing Ineffective Trials
The requirement to reduce ineffective trials comes from the CJS Public Service Agreement, which is to 'improve the delivery of justice by increasing the number of crimes for which an offender is brought to justice to 1.25 million by 2007-8, with an improvement in all CJS areas, a greater increase in the worst performing areas, and a reduction in the proportion of ineffective trials'.
A trial is deemed as being ineffective when it is unable to proceed on the day that it was scheduled to start and has to be re-listed for trial on another day. There are various reasons for this, but the main ones are the non-attendance of a prosecution or defence witness, the failure of the defendant to appear; or the parties not being ready to proceed with the case.
It has been agreed that the rate of ineffective trials will need to be reduced to 14% in the Crown Court, and 19% in the Magistrates' Courts, by the end of March 2008.
Each Local Criminal Justice Board has agreed a local target for reducing ineffective trials.