{"metric":"magistrates_open_cases","title":"Magistrates' court open cases","topic":"crime","unit":"cases","measure_type":"stock","geography":"K04000001","comparison_method":"same_quarter_previous_year","latest":{"period_start":"2026-01-01","period_end":"2026-03-31","period_label":"2026 Q1","value":370722,"status":"final","vintage":"2026-06-25"},"comparison":{"period_label":"2025 Q1","value":333194,"vintage":"2026-06-25"},"source":{"publisher":"Ministry of Justice","publication":"Criminal court statistics quarterly","landing_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics","sheet":"Table_M1","table":"Table M1","row":"2026 Q1","column":"All cases: Open","raw_value":"370722","file_url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a4bbde6e50f952c9b89e602/ccsq_accessible_publication_tables_2026Q1.ods","file_sha256":"b6823b9b68923d7039050194eb303b8fc1a1071f5f6a555585d15cf21146dd40","release_date":"2026-06-25","release_label":"January to March 2026"},"definition":"The number of criminal cases open at magistrates' courts in England and Wales at the end of the quarter, a snapshot of live cases on the Libra case-management system.","does_not_measure":"Cases waiting at the Crown Court, how long individual cases have been open, or cases in Scotland and Northern Ireland.","links":{"page":"/crime/magistrates-court-open-cases","series":"/api/metrics/magistrates_open_cases/series","vintages":"/api/metrics/magistrates_open_cases/vintages"}}