To ask the Minister of Justice to detail (i) the current number of prisoners being held on remand; (ii) the average length of time individuals are held on remand; and (iii) any assessment that has been made of the extent to which delays in the criminal justice system are contributing to these figures.

On 1st May 2026, there were 916 prisoners being held on remand.

The latest available data indicates that the average time on remand for those discharged in 2025/26 was 104 days.

While decisions on remand are ultimately matters for the Judiciary, where cases take longer to progress through investigation, prosecution and court proceedings, there can be a corresponding impact on the remand population and on the length of time accused persons remain in custody before their case is concluded. The Criminal Justice Board, the main strategic oversight group for the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland and whose members include the Minister, Permanent Secretary, Lady Chief Justice, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of NICTS, has prioritised a new cross-justice programme of work targeted at reducing avoidable delay in the system. The Speeding Up Justice Programme aims to rebalance the justice system, ensuring that cases are dealt with in a proportionate way, and free up capacity to be directed towards more serious cases.

Note:

The information provided parts (i) and (ii) is derived from PRISM, the Northern Ireland Prison Service management information system. An individual serving a custodial sentence, may also have had separate holding charges active in either a Magistrates and/or Crown Court. They are not classified on PRISM as 'remand' due to serving a custodial sentence. The average reported in part (ii) is based on time spent on remand for individuals discharged in 2025/26 who had spent at least one day on remand during their custodial period(s).