A record number of murder cases in the past year has clogged WA's court system. Source: The Daily Telegraph
A RECORD number of murder cases in the past year has left the state's court system reeling.
The Sunday Times can reveal the Department of Public Prosecutions had to handle 59 homicide cases in 2012-13, a 40 per cent rise over the previous year.
Despite the increase the DPP has not been given any extra resources and its funding will rise only marginally.
A DPP spokeswoman confirmed that "last year was the highest ever" number of new homicide indictments.
A homicide indictment is any case in which somebody is accused of murder, manslaughter, unlawful assault causing death, dangerous driving causing death, assisted killing or any variations of the charges.
The spokeswoman also said the number of overall court appeals handled by the DPP had risen. Appeals rose 26.6 per cent in 2010-11 and a further 25.6 per cent the next year before settling in the past financial year.
The DPP has been allocated $33.7 million for 2013-14 for criminal prosecutions. Forward estimates show it plans to spend about $35.6 million in 2016-17.
Attorney-General Michael Mischin said the DPP's total budget was expected to increase by 6 per cent between 2013-14 and 2016-17.
State Budget papers show staff numbers are expected to remain about the same.
Criminal Lawyers Association of WA president Linda Black said more murder cases would increase pressure on the system without extra resources.
"I accept government cost cuts have to be made, but it seems to me the proper and efficient running of our criminal justice system should be one of the areas that you do your utmost to avoid making cost cuts," Ms Black said.
"We're talking about accused people who are unconvicted and unlikely to get bail, and about extremely distressed friends and family of the deceased who want to, and are entitled to, see a swift resolution."
She said it was typical that criminal lawyers had to wait four to five months for disclosure reports from the DPP. Sometimes it took a year.
She said the courts had done all they could to make the process more efficient by establishing the Stirling Gardens Magistrates' Court to deal with matters that would eventually proceed to the Supreme and District courts.
But the system was let down by the prosecution shortfalls.
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