The number of cases received by the Central Criminal Court has fallen for the first time in five years, and is now lower than in any year since 1997, according to figures compiled by the court. Figures started being compiled by the court in 1996.
The Central Criminal Court is the division of the High Court which deals with murder, manslaughter, rape and serious sexual assault. Less serious sexual assaults are dealt with in the Circuit Criminal Courts.
Last year, 124 cases were received by the Central Criminal Court and 131 were dealt with - most of which had been received by the court the previous year. This meant that for the first time cases processed outnumbered those received.
This leaves the number of cases outstanding at the beginning of this year at 286, compared with 296 at the end of 2000. The waiting time for trial in this court, from getting a file from the DPP to the hearing date, is now 16 months.
Last year's figure indicates a decline in the number of very serious crimes coming before the courts. For the previous three years, they ranged between 156 and 163 cases a year, a jump from 100 in 1997 and 76 in 1996.
Most of the cases end in convictions. Of the 33 murder trials last year, there were seven guilty pleas, two non-prosecutions entered and 23 actual trials, with one filed as "other".
Only three of the cases which went to trial ended in acquittals, though some of those who were initially charged with murder were convicted of manslaughter.
There were 97 cases of rape and sexual assault, of which 50 involved guilty pleas. There were six decisions not to proceed with the prosecution, and three cases where the accused died or other issues arose leading to the aborting of the case.
Of the 36 that went to trial, 22 were guilty of rape and/or sexual assault, and 14 were acquitted. The guilty verdicts included three convictions for unlawful carnal knowledge involving a child under the age of 15. Thus 72 of the total of 98 rape cases ended in conviction.
The largest group of sentences for rape or sexual assault fell in the five- to 10-year range. Thirty-one people received such sentences, while 27 received sentences of between two and five years. Six people were sentenced to terms of imprisonment exceeding 10 years, and nine received relatively short sentences of under two years.
There was one suspended sentence. A guilty plea is taken as a mitigating factor in sentencing.
Among the murder and manslaughter convictions, there were 13 life sentences, the mandatory sentence for murder.
The sentence for manslaughter ranges up to life imprisonment but can be a much lower sentence depending on the circumstances. Three people were sentenced to periods longer than 10 years, and 10 received sentences of between five and 10 years. One person received a sentence between two and five years.
Unlike in 2000, when four people were found not guilty by reason of insanity, this finding was not made at all last year. Therefore, no one was ordered to be detained at the Government's pleasure.
The statistics are compiled by the Circuit Criminal Court, which is presided over by Mr Justice Carney. He hears most of the cases but other High Court judges also sit in the Circuit Criminal Court from time to time.