Guilty Pleas

Fact 1

Guilty Pleas in the Crown Court

In 2024, 113,928 cases were disposed in the Crown Court.¹

61%

of people pleaded guilty

Fact 2

Aside from a spike during the pandemic, guilty plea
rates in the Crown Court have remained stable.

Fact 3

In the Crown Court, most guilty pleas take place before the trial.

Of 76,634 defendants dealt with in trial in 2024,
44,357 entered a guilty plea.

36,642 of these guilty pleas were entered before the trial.
7,865 guilty pleas came in the context of a cracked trial.

Note: Cracked trials refer to cases in which a trial is scheduled but does not take place because the defendant changes their plea from not-guilty to guilty at the last minute.

Fact 6

Guilty Pleas in the Magistrates’ Courts

In 2024, 1,428,804 cases were disposed in magistrates’ courts.

74%

of individuals accused of a
serious offence in a magistrates’
court pleaded guilty.

Note: “serious” offences refer to indictable and
triable-either-way (i.e., non-summary) offences.

Fact 7

For serious cases in magistrates’ courts, the guilty plea rate dipped during the pandemic and has since reached a new peak.