WILL JONES
Shoplifting and drug use are being given a “green light” as a Government review is set to recommend “out of court resolutions” for thousands of “low level” criminals to ease the backlog in the justice system. The Mail has more.
A government review led by former High Court judge Sir Brian Leveson will recommend that “out of court resolutions” are used routinely for “low-tier” including theft, drug-taking and some public order offences.
The move will mean many more offenders will escape with a slap on the wrist, with some not even receiving a criminal record.
One lawyer tonight said: “This will give a green light to shoplift and do drugs.”
Sir Brian will also propose increasing the “discount” for a guilty plea from one-third to 40% of an offender’s sentence.
Coupled with recent plans to allow offenders to serve just one-third of their sentence, the move would see some criminals serve less than a fifth of their nominal sentence.
The recommendations, which have been leaked to the Daily Mail, will fuel concerns that Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to go soft on crime to ease the backlog in the courts and overcrowding in Britain’s prisons.
Sir Brian is also expected to call for an end to jury trials in some cases, including complex frauds.
Suspects charged with mid-level offences like causing actual bodily harm, will lose the right to have their case heard by a jury and will instead go before an ‘intermediate’ court comprised of magistrates and a judge to save time.
Sir Brian’s report will say his recommendations will only be ‘at their most effective’ if the Government also massively increases investment in the Crown courts, the Mail understands.
Ms Mahmood is grappling with huge backlogs in the courts and a prison estate close to bursting.
The backlog surged during the pandemic and hit a record 73,000 cases last year, with some victims waiting years to get justice.
Critics have urged the Justice Secretary to focus on investing in longer court sittings to clear the backlog rather than finding quick fixes to reduce numbers by allowing offenders to face more lenient punishment outside the courtroom.
Out of court disposals can include cautions, fixed penalty notices, rehabilitation courses or sometimes even just a verbal warning or an apology to the victim.
The Magistrates’ Association has previously warned that expansion of their use could undermine public confidence in the justice system.
Worth reading in full.
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