Ministry of Justice · defendants

Prosecutions under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Prosecutions: Year ending March 2016 to Year ending March 2026ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour0500k1m201620182020202220242026Before: Figures as originally processed. After: Figures reprocessed ahead of the 2023 Q2 edition.methodology changeYear ending March 2016: 1,493,801 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2017: 1,442,793 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2018: 1,353,888 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2019: 1,345,708 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2020: 1,318,738 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 877,831 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 1,115,215 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 1,188,455 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 1,271,059 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 1,344,552 defendants · published 30 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 1,360,615 defendants · published 30 July 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestDashed line: change in coverage or methodShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024present1,271,059Year ending March 20241,360,615Year ending March 2026 7.0%+89,556
Conservative 2019–202413 December 20195 July 20241,345,708Year ending March 20191,271,059Year ending March 2024 5.5%74,649
Conservative 2017–20199 June 201713 December 20191,442,793Year ending March 20171,345,708Year ending March 2019 6.7%97,085
Conservative 2015–20178 May 20159 June 2017No complete period was published before this government took office.
Coalition 2010–201511 May 20108 May 2015No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 2005–20106 May 200511 May 2010No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 2001–20058 June 20015 May 2005No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 1997–20012 May 19977 June 2001No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1992–199710 April 19922 May 1997No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1987–199212 June 19879 April 1992No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1983–198710 June 198311 June 1987No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1979–19834 May 19799 June 1983No complete period was published before this government took office.