Courts clearing backlog

MORE cases are being finalised in the Magistrates Court in Tasmania, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.

Recently released figures show that last financial year 14,283 defendants had their cases completed in Tasmanian criminal courts, 1238 more than the previous year.

Of those cases, 13,115, or 92 per cent, were finalised in the Magistrates Court. There were 14 finalised in the youth court and 57 in the higher courts.

Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences were the most common.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the increase of finalisations in the Magistrates Court was primarily due to Tasmania Police’s work in clearing its case backlog last financial year.

“This resulted in a number of older, ‘archival’ matters being finalised in the Magistrates Court via a referral to court. These matters did not require a lengthy hearing,” the spokeswoman said.

She said two-thirds of the increase in finalisations was associated with an increase in nonadjudicated outcomes, which includes withdrawals, transfers to other court levels, and the dismissal of archival matters.

The bureau of statistics figures also showed: MORE than half of all defendants faced a principal offence LORETTA LO LOHBERGER LO relating to traffic and vehicle regulation (40 per cent) or acts intended to cause injury (16 per cent). NINE in 10 defendants had their matters adjudicated, with 11.140 proven guilty, of which 10,226 entered a guilty plea. ABOUT six per cent of defendants had their matter or matters withdrawn by the prosecution or transferred to another court level. OF the defendants proven guilty, 80 per cent received a non-custodial order, most commonly a fine. ONE in five received a custodial sentence, which was an increase of three per cent from 2016-17.

Chief Justice Alan Blow last year warned the backlog of criminal cases waiting to be heard in the Supreme Court of Tasmania had reached an “unacceptable level” and he called for an additional judge to be appointed.

In the court’s annual report, released in November, Chief Justice Blow said the two main challenges were a substantial backlog of pending criminal cases, and an increase in the number of appeals and bail applications.