« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
10.1 Commentary: Bail Orders Made (Tables 15, 16 &17)
10.1.1 The total number of bail orders made by Scottish courts in 2007/08 was 60,700, a decrease of just under 3 per cent from 2006/07. In terms of longer-term trends, the 60,700 bail orders made in 2007/08 represented an increase of 30 per cent since 2002/03.
10.1.2 Males accounted for over 80 per cent of all orders made by the courts. Around a quarter of all bail orders were for people aged under 21, while those aged 21-30 and over 30 accounted for 36 and 38 per cent respectively of all orders made. Most bail orders made were issued at Sheriff courts (90 per cent of all orders), with District (including Justice of the Peace and Stipendiary) courts making up most of the remainder.
10.1.3 Details of the main crime type involved in each bail order are only available for 2007/08 for the 6_ month period up to 19 th October 2007. Details of why this is the case are in Annex A towards the rear of this publication. During this period, crimes of common assault and breach of the peace accounted for 32 per cent of all orders. This was substantially higher than in 2002/03, when these two crime types combined accounted for just 25 per cent of all orders.
10.1.4 In 2002/03, 28 per cent of all bail orders were issued for crimes of dishonesty. This proportion had fallen sharply by 2007/08, to 20 per cent.
10.1.5 There was a noticeable, though less marked, fall in the proportion accounted for by motor vehicle offences. This fell from 9 per cent of all bail orders in 2002/03 to 6 per cent for the first 6½ months of 2007/08.
10.2 Commentary: Offences Committed While on Bail (Tables 18 & 19)
10.2.1 Of the total of 184,400 offences with a charge proved in 2007/08, 30,400 (16 per cent) had a bail aggravator recorded against them, indicating that these offences were committed while the offender was on bail, an increase of 1 percentage point from 2006/07.
10.2.2 Crime and offence categories where the highest proportion of offenders were on bail were shoplifting (39 per cent), housebreaking and crimes against public justice (both 32 per cent), robbery and theft by opening a lockfast place (both 29 per cent).
10.2.3 Crimes and offences with a relatively low percentage of offenders on bail included most motor vehicle offences (particularly speeding (1 per cent) and vehicle defect offences (2 per cent)), as well as lewd and indecent behaviour (4 per cent) and rape and attempted rape (5 per cent).
10.2.4 Bail-related offences other than committing an offence on bail covers the offences of breach of bail conditions (e.g. moving address without informing the court) and failure to appear in court after being granted bail. A total of 8,000 of these offences had a charge proved in 2007/08, an increase of 8 per cent compared with 2006/07. When looked at as a percentage of bail orders granted, the value for 2007/08 (13 per cent) was a one percentage point increase from both the previous year 2006/07, and 2002/03. For the number of bail-related offences, the biggest increases from 2006/07 to 2007/08 were seen in Sheriff Solemn and Sheriff Summary Court offences (up, respectively, 13 and 8 per cent to 380 and 7,400). Offences relating to those who received a community sentence rose by 11 per cent to 1,630 while those who received a monetary penalty also rose by 11 per cent, to 1,890.
« Previous | Contents | Next »