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Total court costs associated with drug offences in 2011

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1240/5(6992)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO H.M. ATTORNEY GENERAL BY DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 10th JULY 2012

Question

"What were the total court costs incurred from the prosecution of drug offences in 2011? What was the breakdown for cannabis related offences and for other drug offences?

What money, if any, was recovered from these offences and paid into the Criminal Offences Confiscation Fund and what was the net difference between cost incurred and funds seized?"

Answer

It is not possible to provide an estimate of the total court costs' incurred in drugs prosecutions as this involves many different departments including the Bailiff 's Chambers, Judicial Greffe and Viscounts Departments all of which are involved in the criminal justice system. However, in terms of prosecution costs, the following information is available.

In 2011, there were 24 cases sentenced in the Royal Court for drugs offences. Of these, eight were prosecuted by external Crown advocates for which the total expenditure was £71,940. This figure includes fees to Crown advocates and other miscellaneous costs such as interpreters fees, etc.

Two of the cases were for offences involving only cannabis, and both were prosecuted by Law Officers' Department staff. Of the remaining 22 cases, four cases included charges involving cannabis as well as more serious offences involving for example heroin and cocaine.

Confiscation orders in the total sum of £31,809 were made by the Court at sentencing, of which £770 was attributable to the two cannabis only cases. Money recovered as a result of the prosecution of drugs offences is paid into the Drug Trafficking Confiscation Fund.

The above information covers only the cost of drugs related prosecutions in the Royal Court. It does not take into account the cost of prosecutions in the Magistrate's Court but no external Crown advocates were used in the Magistrate's Court during 2011.