Court Guide · Sources checked 13 September 2026 · England and Wales · national court proceedings
Reporting period: Calendar years 2021–2025
Court proceedings use their own counting rules, including principal-offence rules where specified. Counts of defendants, convictions and sentences are not interchangeable.
Criminal court outcomes
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| Measure | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All offence types · Number of defendants proceeded against at MC · 1,490,235 · 1,457,607 · 1,367,898 · 1,356,132 · 1,350,451 · 935,697 | 1,066,909 | 1,168,418 | 1,249,352 | 1,329,311 | 1,363,454 |
| All offence types · Proceedings discontinued or discharged · 21,554 · 19,341 · 14,593 · 15,514 · 16,078 · 17,713 | 20,604 | 16,459 | 15,734 | 14,508 | 16,375 |
| All offence types · Charge withdrawn or dismissed · 204,119 · 186,037 · 132,078 · 129,185 · 127,629 · 74,524 | 86,227 | 94,272 | 105,284 | 108,915 | 123,718 |
| All offence types · Convicted at MC · 1,176,104 · 1,177,453 · 1,150,694 · 1,152,424 · 1,144,807 · 780,605 | 902,123 | 1,000,615 | 1,062,951 | 1,128,077 | 1,141,359 |
| All offence types · Appeared at CC for trial · 88,773 · 80,527 · 78,769 · 69,221 · 62,056 · 48,692 | 62,133 | 59,825 | 70,716 | 76,337 | 79,140 |
| All offence types · Case discontinued at CC · 709 · 595 · 889 · 865 · 730 · 818 | 1,288 | 1,669 | 3,094 | 4,487 | 5,134 |
| All offence types · Acquitted at CC · 16,661 · 15,583 · 14,636 · 13,050 · 10,764 · 7,540 | 11,522 | 11,860 | 14,401 | 15,571 | 15,736 |
| All offence types · Convicted at CC · 71,170 · 64,136 · 63,110 · 55,190 · 50,473 · 40,231 | 49,220 | 46,246 | 53,373 | 56,730 | 58,526 |
| All offence types · Convictions total · 1,247,274 · 1,241,589 · 1,213,804 · 1,207,614 · 1,195,280 · 820,836 | 951,351 | 1,046,874 | 1,116,329 | 1,184,815 | 1,199,896 |
| All offence types · Other disposal without conviction · 206 · 176 · 45 · 36 · 42 · 36 | 46 | 16 | 16 | 5 | 2 |
| Indictable only · Number of defendants proceeded against at MC · 26,638 · 24,700 · 23,730 · 19,744 · 19,798 · 19,877 | 18,187 | 19,184 | 21,791 | 25,600 | 27,463 |
| Indictable only · Proceedings discontinued or discharged · 668 · 691 · 158 · 144 · 171 · 206 | 182 | 147 | 158 | 145 | 167 |
| Indictable only · Charge withdrawn or dismissed · 230 · 212 · 312 · 235 · 240 · 233 | 253 | 186 | 261 | 277 | 276 |
| Indictable only · Convicted at MC · 1,352 · 1,329 · 1,373 · 1,325 · 1,452 · 1,451 | 1,295 | 1,173 | 1,365 | 1,555 | 1,422 |
| Indictable only · Appeared at CC for trial · 18,584 · 17,597 · 19,425 · 17,356 · 14,586 · 10,568 | 13,712 | 13,263 | 15,538 | 16,213 | 16,689 |
| Indictable only · Case discontinued at CC · 187 · 140 · 191 · 185 · 168 · 143 | 246 | 287 | 488 | 663 | 876 |
| Indictable only · Acquitted at CC · 5,368 · 5,154 · 5,164 · 4,530 · 3,231 · 2,017 | 3,176 | 3,331 | 4,126 | 4,376 | 4,303 |
| Indictable only · Convicted at CC · 12,952 · 12,232 · 14,040 · 12,610 · 11,156 · 8,367 | 10,254 | 9,616 | 10,892 | 11,159 | 11,462 |
| Indictable only · Convictions total · 14,304 · 13,561 · 15,413 · 13,935 · 12,608 · 9,818 | 11,549 | 10,790 | 12,257 | 12,715 | 12,885 |
| Indictable only · Other disposal without conviction · 74 · 64 · 3 · 4 · 1 · 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Triable either way · Number of defendants proceeded against at MC · 296,252 · 267,078 · 239,820 · 214,439 · 217,032 · 180,446 | 184,801 | 181,833 | 202,671 | 233,228 | 255,044 |
| Triable either way · Proceedings discontinued or discharged · 6,592 · 5,906 · 4,140 · 4,245 · 4,374 · 5,331 | 5,389 | 4,840 | 5,209 | 4,806 | 6,208 |
| Triable either way · Charge withdrawn or dismissed · 29,332 · 26,271 · 13,185 · 12,350 · 11,675 · 9,278 | 10,958 | 11,489 | 11,946 | 13,173 | 15,756 |
| Triable either way · Convicted at MC · 196,758 · 182,863 · 174,150 · 157,095 · 157,247 · 121,196 | 127,192 | 126,354 | 140,468 | 161,501 | 177,028 |
| Triable either way · Appeared at CC for trial · 66,792 · 59,600 · 57,724 · 50,370 · 46,136 · 37,068 | 47,090 | 45,160 | 53,121 | 57,053 | 59,140 |
| Triable either way · Case discontinued at CC · 508 · 443 · 670 · 638 · 523 · 639 | 964 | 1,323 | 2,508 | 3,699 | 4,142 |
| Triable either way · Acquitted at CC · 11,168 · 10,290 · 9,405 · 8,449 · 7,458 · 5,480 | 8,293 | 8,421 | 10,070 | 10,827 | 11,019 |
| Triable either way · Convicted at CC · 54,966 · 48,732 · 47,580 · 41,238 · 38,121 · 30,910 | 37,812 | 35,428 | 40,730 | 42,939 | 44,249 |
| Triable either way · Convictions total · 251,724 · 231,595 · 221,730 · 198,333 · 195,368 · 152,106 | 165,007 | 161,794 | 181,202 | 204,447 | 221,286 |
| Triable either way · Other disposal without conviction · 128 · 106 · 15 · 10 · 10 · 14 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| Summary non-motoring · Number of defendants proceeded against at MC · 528,443 · 502,501 · 444,041 · 433,779 · 411,986 · 238,541 | 259,372 | 279,407 | 300,114 | 307,748 | 278,027 |
| Summary non-motoring · Proceedings discontinued or discharged · 10,293 · 8,638 · 6,807 · 7,383 · 6,601 · 7,593 | 7,493 | 5,356 | 4,489 | 4,409 | 4,834 |
| Summary non-motoring · Charge withdrawn or dismissed · 93,944 · 86,658 · 59,817 · 57,703 · 51,355 · 31,734 | 34,410 | 36,292 | 40,711 | 42,887 | 46,811 |
| Summary non-motoring · Convicted at MC · 423,774 · 406,977 · 377,227 · 368,562 · 353,877 · 199,094 | 217,351 | 237,623 | 254,712 | 260,218 | 226,170 |
| Summary non-motoring · Appeared at CC for trial · 2,986 · 2,880 · 1,355 · 1,251 · 1,128 · 901 | 1,128 | 1,165 | 1,742 | 2,640 | 2,866 |
| Summary non-motoring · Case discontinued at CC · 12 · 12 · 20 · 33 · 26 · 24 | 61 | 49 | 81 | 106 | 97 |
| Summary non-motoring · Acquitted at CC · 113 · 122 · 56 · 64 · 64 · 31 | 44 | 84 | 154 | 303 | 335 |
| Summary non-motoring · Convicted at CC · 2,855 · 2,740 · 1,248 · 1,122 · 1,018 · 826 | 996 | 1,010 | 1,508 | 2,282 | 2,466 |
| Summary non-motoring · Convictions total · 426,629 · 409,717 · 378,475 · 369,684 · 354,895 · 199,920 | 218,352 | 238,633 | 256,221 | 262,500 | 228,636 |
| Summary non-motoring · Other disposal without conviction · 4 · 6 · 27 · 22 · 31 · 22 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Summary motoring · Number of defendants proceeded against at MC · 638,902 · 663,328 · 660,307 · 688,170 · 701,635 · 496,833 | 604,549 | 687,994 | 724,776 | 762,735 | 802,920 |
| Summary motoring · Proceedings discontinued or discharged · 4,001 · 4,106 · 3,488 · 3,742 · 4,932 · 4,583 | 7,540 | 6,116 | 5,878 | 5,148 | 5,166 |
| Summary motoring · Charge withdrawn or dismissed · 80,613 · 72,896 · 58,764 · 58,897 · 64,359 · 33,279 | 40,606 | 46,305 | 52,366 | 52,578 | 60,875 |
| Summary motoring · Convicted at MC · 554,220 · 586,284 · 597,944 · 625,442 · 632,231 · 458,864 | 556,285 | 635,465 | 666,406 | 704,803 | 736,739 |
| Summary motoring · Appeared at CC for trial · 411 · 450 · 265 · 244 · 206 · 155 | 203 | 237 | 315 | 431 | 445 |
| Summary motoring · Case discontinued at CC · 2 · 0 · 8 · 9 · 13 · 12 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 19 |
| Summary motoring · Acquitted at CC · 12 · 17 · 11 · 7 · 11 · 12 | 9 | 24 | 51 | 65 | 79 |
| Summary motoring · Convicted at CC · 397 · 432 · 242 · 220 · 178 · 128 | 158 | 192 | 243 | 350 | 349 |
| Summary motoring · Convictions total · 554,617 · 586,716 · 598,186 · 625,662 · 632,409 · 458,992 | 556,443 | 635,657 | 666,649 | 705,153 | 737,089 |
| Summary motoring · Other disposal without conviction · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Number of defendants proceeded against at MC · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Proceedings discontinued or discharged · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Charge withdrawn or dismissed · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Convicted at MC · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Appeared at CC for trial · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Case discontinued at CC · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Acquitted at CC · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Convicted at CC · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Convictions total · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Offence unknown · Other disposal without conviction · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
How to interpret these figures
Cases can enter and finish in different years. These tables cannot be divided by police recorded crime totals to give a conviction probability.
Court outcomes describe completed proceedings, not the legal strength of a current allegation. Changes can reflect case mix, court activity and recording improvements. Consult the table notes before comparing categories.
Useful next steps
Practical help: criminal justice outcomes
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.
Official guidance and related resources
Data sources
- Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly: December 2025 · checked 13 September 2026
Figures retain the source’s units and periods. Unknown or suppressed values are not treated as zero. Methods and coverage · Report a correction.