Statistical Bulletin: Crime and Justice Series: Criminal Appeal Statistics, Scotland: 2008-09
This bulletin presents statistics on criminal appeals concluded in the High Court of Justiciary and includes figures up to 2008-09.
4 Duration of Criminal Appeals
Chart 3 and the accompanying table show an increase of 7 per cent (from 151 to 162 days) in the overall average duration of concluded criminal appeals from 2007-08 to 2008-09.
The average duration of concluded Solemn conviction appeals increased to 513 days, the highest figure recorded in the past ten years and an increase of 34 per cent from 2007-08.
(Please see Note 6 in the Notes section for additional details on duration and average duration of appeals.)
Chart 3 Criminal appeals by type of appeal and average duration: 1999-00 to 2008-09
Chart 3: Table of data
Criminal appeals by type of appeal and average duration (days): 1999-00 to 2008-09
Type of appeal |
1999-00 |
2000-01 |
2001-02 |
2002-03 |
2003-04 |
2004-05 |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Solemn conviction |
246.3 |
279.2 |
333.0 |
328.9 |
255.2 |
371.6 |
422.5 |
372.3 |
382.4 |
512.8 |
Solemn sentence |
103.9 |
121.4 |
102.4 |
127.2 |
150.3 |
173.2 |
215.9 |
162.3 |
157.7 |
167.7 |
Summary conviction |
158.2 |
114.8 |
295.7 |
375.7 |
308.5 |
323.8 |
157.8 |
129.4 |
220.2 |
225.2 |
Summary sentence |
49.3 |
51.2 |
51.2 |
65.6 |
110.3 |
137.5 |
71.8 |
79.3 |
96.0 |
77.9 |
All types |
81.4 |
83.4 |
98.5 |
139.9 |
155.1 |
186.9 |
152.3 |
131.6 |
150.6 |
161.5 |
Chart 4 and the accompanying table show the average duration of appeals from the High Court increased by 24 per cent (from 331 to 409 days), while for JP/District and Stipendiary Magistrates Courts it decreased by 23 per cent (from 147 to 113 days).
An increase of 21 per cent (from 146 to 177 days) was recorded in the average duration of appeals from Sheriff Solemn Courts, while the average duration for appeals from Sheriff Summary Courts decreased by 4 per cent (from 112 to 108 days).
(Please see Note 6 in the Notes section for additional details on duration and average duration of appeals.)
Chart 4 Criminal appeals by type of court of first instance and average duration: 1999-00 to 2008-09
Chart 4: Table of data
Criminal appeals by type of court of first instance and average duration (days): 1999-00 to 2008-09
Court of first instance |
1999-00 |
2000-01 |
2001-02 |
2002-03 |
2003-04 |
2004-05 |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High Court |
172.5 |
182.4 |
181.1 |
222.2 |
195.6 |
268.9 |
412.3 |
311.3 |
330.9 |
409.3 |
Sheriff Solemn |
84.3 |
82.1 |
95.3 |
139.7 |
148.4 |
177.6 |
152.8 |
141.3 |
145.8 |
177.2 |
Sheriff Summary |
43.5 |
65.0 |
57.0 |
102.8 |
141.4 |
167.5 |
87.1 |
84.7 |
112.4 |
108.2 |
JP/District (incl Stipendiary Magistrates Court) |
46.4 |
79.7 |
56.7 |
142.8 |
184.4 |
208.7 |
86.6 |
105.7 |
146.6 |
113.3 |
All types |
81.4 |
83.4 |
98.5 |
139.9 |
155.1 |
186.9 |
152.3 |
131.6 |
150.6 |
161.5 |
Table 3 shows that the majority (79 per cent) of appeals concluded in 2008-09 were concluded within six months, an increase of 5 percentage points from 2007-08. The percentage of appeals concluded between six months and one year fell by 10 percentage points to 10 per cent in the same period. The remaining appeals (11 per cent) were concluded in one year or more, an increase of 5 percentage points from 2007-08.
Appeals against sentence, both in Solemn and Summary Courts, follow a similar pattern to the one outlined for all appeals, above.
However, for Solemn conviction appeals the percentage concluded within six months fell from 55 per cent in 2007-08 to 37 per cent in 2008-09. The percentage concluded between six months and one year fell from 21 per cent to 15 per cent over the same period and the percentage concluded in one year or more increased from 24 per cent to 48 per cent.
For Summary conviction appeals the percentage concluded within six months fell from 62 per cent in 2007-08 to 59 per cent in 2008-09. The percentage concluded between six months and one year remained at 18 per cent over the same period and the percentage concluded in one year or more increased from 20 per cent to 24 per cent.
Table 3 Criminal appeals against conviction and sentence, percentage by duration by type of appeal: 1999-00 to 2008-09
Year |
Solemn conviction (1) |
Solemn sentence only |
Summary conviction (1) |
Summary sentence only |
All types |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Up to 6 months |
6 months - 1 year |
1 year or more |
Up to 6 months |
6 months - 1 year |
1 year or more |
Up to 6 months |
6 months - 1 year |
1 year or more |
Up to 6 months |
6 months - 1 year |
1 year or more |
Up to 6 months |
6 months - 1 year |
1 year or more |
|
1999-00 |
55 |
29 |
15 |
88 |
9 |
3 |
69 |
18 |
13 |
97 |
1 |
2 |
90 |
6 |
4 |
2000-01 |
57 |
17 |
26 |
89 |
8 |
2 |
71 |
26 |
2 |
97 |
2 |
1 |
91 |
6 |
3 |
2001-02 |
52 |
17 |
31 |
92 |
6 |
2 |
67 |
7 |
25 |
96 |
1 |
3 |
91 |
3 |
6 |
2002-03 |
40 |
28 |
33 |
90 |
8 |
3 |
62 |
1 |
36 |
95 |
3 |
2 |
85 |
7 |
9 |
2003-04 |
29 |
53 |
18 |
72 |
25 |
3 |
46 |
18 |
36 |
80 |
17 |
3 |
70 |
22 |
8 |
2004-05 |
39 |
16 |
45 |
69 |
21 |
10 |
39 |
24 |
37 |
70 |
24 |
6 |
63 |
23 |
14 |
2005-06 |
31 |
24 |
44 |
74 |
11 |
15 |
80 |
10 |
10 |
95 |
2 |
3 |
82 |
7 |
11 |
2006-07 |
40 |
27 |
33 |
78 |
14 |
8 |
77 |
18 |
5 |
89 |
9 |
2 |
81 |
13 |
7 |
2007-08 |
55 |
21 |
24 |
70 |
25 |
5 |
62 |
18 |
20 |
82 |
16 |
2 |
74 |
20 |
6 |
2008-09 |
37 |
15 |
48 |
76 |
18 |
6 |
59 |
18 |
24 |
94 |
3 |
3 |
79 |
10 |
11 |
1. Includes appeals against conviction and sentence.
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