People locked up awaiting trial are spending an average of 80 days in Hong Kong's prison system before their case is completed - nearly three weeks longer than they were in 2008 - figures obtained by the Sunday Morning Post show.
The statistics, gathered independently and confirmed by the Correctional Services Department, have sparked fresh fears over the city's chronic shortage of judges and raised questions among legal professionals about the granting of bail.
In 2008, the average time an accused person spent in custody before the court delivered a verdict was 60.3 days. In 2010, that figure rose to 80 days, or more than two-and-a-half months. Prison chiefs say they have no such figure for last year.
Human rights advocates also point out the 80 days, being an average figure, masks the fact that many people spend months behind bars before trial, though others are dealt with relatively quickly.
They also question the prison practice of conducting 'body cavity searches' on all remand prisoners every time they return to prison following a court appearance and say a legal challenge to the practice could be mounted.
The figures come a month after the Post reported that almost a quarter of the positions for judges and magistrates have been lying vacant for at least nine months.