As figures hit a record high across England and Wales, The Magistrates Association is blaming a sluggish criminal justice system which is damaging to vulnerable young offenders and victims.
Data from the Ministry of Justice shows that, in Wiltshire, it took an average of 151 days from the offence for a young offender to have a final decision made at court in 2018-19.
While year-on-year data was not available, in England and Wales the average case time reached 154 days – the longest since the beginning of national records in 2010-11.
Chairman of the Magistrates Association John Bache called for more cash for all areas of the system to enable justice to be administered fairly and swiftly.
“Delays in any part of the justice system are a cause for concern, but particularly in youth justice where they have an especially damaging impact on vulnerable children, young people and victims.
“It is especially concerning if delays lead to young people who commit crimes being tried in an adult court if they turn 18 by the time their case comes to court.”
Across both countries, the biggest increase in times for young offenders was the average between the committing of a crime and being charged for it.
Aika Stephenson, legal director of Just for Kids Law, said part of this was due to the increasing use of the release under investigation process by police forces, where a suspect is released without charge pending investigation, rather than being bailed. This, in turn, has led to the police, and other services, prioritising charged and bail cases.
Ms Stephenson added that court closures have also resulted in long delays which could have “a huge impact” on well-being.
The Home Office recently launched a public consultation on the bail system which will include an examination of how the system of releasing people under investigation can be improved.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said this review was to help ensure the police can “investigate crimes effectively and swiftly”.
A spokesman for HM Courts and Tribunals Service said that the longer times for youth criminal cases were in large part due to an increase in the time it took for a case to reach the courts.
“The government has also allocated £55 million to make sure the justice system can respond to an expected increase in demand,” the spokesman added.
