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21/02/2014
Reports Call For 'On-The-Spot' Police Station Justice
A new report has called on the government to allow judges to deliver "on-the-spot" justice, working from inside police stations.
Think tank Policy Exchange has produced a series of recommendations, which they call "a new vision for summary justice".
The 'Future Courts' report recommends:
The recruitment of 10,000 new magistrates, taking overall numbers to 33,000: They would sit in police stations and other community buildings, oversee out-of-court disposals, review offenders’ sentences on an on-going basis, and spend a third of their volunteering time undertaking community engagement work.
A more diverse magistracy: courts sitting during evenings and weekends will encourage younger, professional people to apply, but more action is needed. Instead of automatic retirement at 70, a new ‘tenure period’ for magistrates of 10 years should be implemented, creating greater turnover – and polices should be enacted to specifically target younger and more ethnically diverse recruits.
Greater court innovation: The Ministry of Justice, the Judicial College and the Magistrates’ Association should devise a new training package for 500 or so ‘problem solving’ magistrates and judges, specialising in dealing with people with drug and alcohol addiction.
The creation of new ‘Justice Hubs’: Court buildings currently house an average of six courtrooms. As the overall footprint of the court estate is reduced, the report recommends the creation of much larger courthouses, containing around 50 courtrooms. Newly-built or converted ‘Justice Hubs’, located to serve major population areas and co-located with other justice agencies, would accommodate different criminal courts (e.g. magistrates and Crown Courts), civil courts and tribunals under the same roof, as well as housing the full range of justice services and custody facilities.
Policy Exchange argue that locating magistrates in police stations would deliver swifter justice, dramatically reducing the time it takes to punish criminals.
They claim there is currently a two month delay from the time an offender is charged by the police to the sentence being handed down in a magistrates’ court, a delay they argue weakens the power of punishments and does little to change the behaviour of offenders.
The full report can be found the Policy Exchange website
(MH)
Think tank Policy Exchange has produced a series of recommendations, which they call "a new vision for summary justice".
The 'Future Courts' report recommends:
The recruitment of 10,000 new magistrates, taking overall numbers to 33,000: They would sit in police stations and other community buildings, oversee out-of-court disposals, review offenders’ sentences on an on-going basis, and spend a third of their volunteering time undertaking community engagement work.
A more diverse magistracy: courts sitting during evenings and weekends will encourage younger, professional people to apply, but more action is needed. Instead of automatic retirement at 70, a new ‘tenure period’ for magistrates of 10 years should be implemented, creating greater turnover – and polices should be enacted to specifically target younger and more ethnically diverse recruits.
Greater court innovation: The Ministry of Justice, the Judicial College and the Magistrates’ Association should devise a new training package for 500 or so ‘problem solving’ magistrates and judges, specialising in dealing with people with drug and alcohol addiction.
The creation of new ‘Justice Hubs’: Court buildings currently house an average of six courtrooms. As the overall footprint of the court estate is reduced, the report recommends the creation of much larger courthouses, containing around 50 courtrooms. Newly-built or converted ‘Justice Hubs’, located to serve major population areas and co-located with other justice agencies, would accommodate different criminal courts (e.g. magistrates and Crown Courts), civil courts and tribunals under the same roof, as well as housing the full range of justice services and custody facilities.
Policy Exchange argue that locating magistrates in police stations would deliver swifter justice, dramatically reducing the time it takes to punish criminals.
They claim there is currently a two month delay from the time an offender is charged by the police to the sentence being handed down in a magistrates’ court, a delay they argue weakens the power of punishments and does little to change the behaviour of offenders.
The full report can be found the Policy Exchange website
(MH)
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26 February 2004
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Measures to ensure that local people have a say in how their courts are run have been unveiled today by Courts Minister Chris Leslie. New regulations, developed following a consultation which was published today, set out the framework for 42 community focused Courts Boards in England and Wales.
Local community to gain role in running of courts system
Measures to ensure that local people have a say in how their courts are run have been unveiled today by Courts Minister Chris Leslie. New regulations, developed following a consultation which was published today, set out the framework for 42 community focused Courts Boards in England and Wales.
05 October 2004
Magistrates secure access to credit reference database
Magistrates across England and Wales will soon have unprecedented access to a database to help them track down hard-to-find offenders who have defaulted on court penalties. When people move on, Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) currently have no means to track them.
Magistrates secure access to credit reference database
Magistrates across England and Wales will soon have unprecedented access to a database to help them track down hard-to-find offenders who have defaulted on court penalties. When people move on, Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) currently have no means to track them.
27 March 2009
Domestic Violence Victims To Receive Extra Support
Victims of Domestic Violence will receive extra help and support from 18 new Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice has announced. The new courts will be located in Eastern England, East Midlands, London, North East, North West, South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside.
Domestic Violence Victims To Receive Extra Support
Victims of Domestic Violence will receive extra help and support from 18 new Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice has announced. The new courts will be located in Eastern England, East Midlands, London, North East, North West, South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside.
03 April 2003
Greater trans-Atlantic cooperation on law and order
Following the Home Secretary's visit to the US, the government has revealed new measures signalling a greater degree of trans-Atlantic cooperation over criminal justice and national defence. Earlier today, David Blunkett and the Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine today announced plans to support the development of US-style community courts in Britain.
Greater trans-Atlantic cooperation on law and order
Following the Home Secretary's visit to the US, the government has revealed new measures signalling a greater degree of trans-Atlantic cooperation over criminal justice and national defence. Earlier today, David Blunkett and the Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine today announced plans to support the development of US-style community courts in Britain.
21 July 2006
Teen rapist sentenced to nine years in prison
A teenager who raped an 11-year-old girl in the toilets of a supermarket has been sentenced to nine years detention. The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, assaulted the girl at Sainsbury's store in Lemington Spa, Warwickshire, in March 2.
Teen rapist sentenced to nine years in prison
A teenager who raped an 11-year-old girl in the toilets of a supermarket has been sentenced to nine years detention. The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, assaulted the girl at Sainsbury's store in Lemington Spa, Warwickshire, in March 2.
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