Summary
Aim
In 2022 the NSW Criminal Courts finalised 11% more appearances than in 2021 and 4% more than in the year prior to the pandemic (2019). Nearly all of the increase in finalisations over the most recent two years occurred in the Local Court (up 13,195 finalisations or 12%).
In 2022, the median time to finalise a defended hearing in the Local Court rose to 310 days; this is a 108 day increase from median time to finalisation in 2019 (202 days).
Sentencing figures show a reduction in the percentage of proven defendants receiving a prison sentence in 2022.