Commenting on today’s announcement by the Lord Chancellor that the government is extending the sentencing range in the magistrates’ courts from six months to 12 months, Tom Franklin, the Magistrates’ Association’s chief executive said:
“Extending the range of cases that magistrates can hear to include those which carry a maximum sentence of 12 months, is something we had long campaigned for as a vital means of ensuring speedier justice for victims, witnesses and defendants.
“This decision means that the least-serious cases heard by crown courts can now be heard as the most-serious cases dealt with by magistrates’ courts. It will help to relieve the pressure on crown court capacity, help reduce the backlog and enable the most serious offences to be dealt with quicker in crown courts – delivering faster results for victims, witnesses and defendants.
“As public servants, magistrates are flexible and support the efficient and fair administration of justice. Our members have previously undertaken training for the extension of their sentencing range, so they stand ready and willing to take on this additional responsibility, to help ensure speedier justice.
“But such a change is not problem-free. There are serious bottle-necks in magistrates’ courts too, particularly with the lack of availability of legal advisers and probation officers needed to support magistrates, which often leads to delays and cancellations. So, to be most effective, this change would need to go together with more court resources. There must be a long-term, sustainable and considered investment in the whole criminal justice system, which we and many others have long called for.”
