Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report - May 2021

How crime flows through the Justice System

A flow chart showing how crime flows through the justice system. Firstly, a crime is reported. Police then review the incident to determine if it is a crime, and where possible, charge a suspect. Police then report the case to COPFS, who determine if the accused will be kept in custody, released on an undertaking, or at liberty. Prosecutors then decide how the accused will be prosecuted. The case is then heard in court and court outcomes are decided. If the accused is found guilty, or tendered a guilty plea, then the accused can be given: a custodial sentence, a community sentence, a monetary penalty, admonished/dismissed or an ‘other’ disposal.