Court Guide · Sources checked 13 September 2026
Where to start
These national statistics describe the work recorded in the criminal justice system. They are useful for understanding trends, but cannot predict an individual prosecution, verdict or sentence.
Understand the unit being counted
Tables can count defendants, proceedings, convictions or sentences. Principal-offence rules mean a record may represent the most serious offence rather than every charge. Read the measure label and original notes before adding or comparing values.
Avoid false conversion rates
Cases can begin in one year and finish in another. Police offence records cannot be matched to these court totals, so dividing convictions by recorded crimes would create a misleading rate.
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