CRIMINAL cases are taking up to two and a half years to complete after the impact of the pandemic has seen Northern Ireland's justice system record its longest ever delays.
Sex offences are now taking, on average, 581 days to complete, while even `straightforward' motoring cases are generally not being concluded for 153 days.
The latest data from the Department of Justice paints a bleak picture of log-jammed crown, magistrates and youth courts that is leaving victims, witnesses and the accused alike in limbo.
The average time taken for a summons case to be dealt with at Crown Court now stands at 939 days - up from 861 in 2019/20.
Adult Magistrates’ Courts courts have seen a 69.4 per cent increase in the average time taken for a charge case to be dealt with, rising from 72 to 122 days.
The department admitted the average time for cases to be completed across all criminal court settings is has risen by 29.5 per cent to 193 days - "the highest figure recorded in the last five years".
The figures refer to `the time from which the offence was reported to, or detected by, the police'.
Social distancing efforts to help stop the spread of the coronavirus began in March 2020, with an increase in court business by video link, skype or telephone conference.
However, work in the courts slowed considerably and new jury trials were suspended for a time.
Despite extra court space acquired in the International Convention Centre at Belfast's Waterfront Hall, the department said the pandemic has affected "both the levels of court business which could be conducted and... other parts of the justice system, including on the issue of summons".
"Prior to the pandemic, the time taken for cases to be completed had been showing a general improvement," the department said.
However, "for a large part of 2020/21, cases were not able to proceed through the system at a rate they might otherwise have done".
The Research and Statistical Bulletin on case processing time for criminal cases also showed the average time taken for a charge case to be dealt with at crown court was 470 days compared with 410 in 2019/20.
Adult magistrates' courts are taking 212 days to deal with cases from a summons compared with 178 days in 2019/20.
The youth magistrates' courts has seen the average time for charge cases to be dealt with reach 187 days, an increase of 59.8 per cent, while those arising from summonses are now taking 326 days - up from 242 days in 2019/20.
The department started publishing the detailed statistics to track its key `speeding up justice' initiatives and give an overview of the health of the justice system.
