The Minister for Justice is to study ways of reducing the delay in criminal cases coming to trial, he told journalists yesterday. This could lead to setting targets between cases being detected and coming to trial of between 90 and 180 days, he said.
Mr McDowell was speaking at the launch of the Courts Service's three-year strategic plan and its first customer service action plan.
The strategic plan is focusing on the processes and personnel aspects of providing a service to the public, according to the chairwoman of the Courts Service, Ms Justice Denham, while the customer service plan focuses on accessibility to the public.
Mr McDowell said that it was very counter-productive, especially in cases involving young offenders, when cases did not come to trial for 12 to 18 months after the offence was committed.
"I want to study the whole period that elapses between detection and trial," he said. "Perhaps our liberal bail regime has led to people thinking there is no urgency. I'll have a complete evaluation of the causes of delay, and will work with the prosecuting authorities, the judicial authorities and the gardaí to have a new approach."
Asked if he had specific targets in mind, he said that in Scotland the target between detection and trial was 180 days, and in England it was 90 for juvenile crime. "I am not specifying this, but we must look down the road of targets."
Referring to the recent release of the crime statistics for 2002, he said that he would be dealing with crime in various ways, including giving new powers to the gardaí. These would include new powers to collect evidence, to preserve crime scenes and to detain suspects.
He also said that whatever procedural changes were needed to ensure speedy trials would be implemented. He complimented Ms Justice Denham and the members of her committee for undertaking to examine urgently the costs associated with personal injuries litigation.
Ms Justice Denham said that the Courts Service's first three- year plan had brought it a long way, helping it reach or significantly advance all 127 of its goals for improvement.
The new strategic plan would include improved and targeted training to ensure effective operation of the courts, business planning with performance monitoring, enhancing the IT infrastructure, improved financial management of court funds and taking account of diversity, especially in relation to language, she said.
She said the customer service action plan would involve 12 elements. These included the publication of a statement that outlines the nature and quality of service that court users can expect, displaying it prominently; ensuring the right to equality of treatment, in line with equality legislation; ensuring physical access for all, including those with disabilities; taking a proactive approach in providing information that is clear, timely and accurate; delivering service with courtesy, sensitivity and a minimum of delay; and maintaining a well-publicised and transparent system for dealing with complaints about the service.
The plan would also include a formalised system of appeal or review for those dissatisfied.