Responding to yesterday’s announcement from the Senior Presiding Judge on the start of the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) 3:1 Operating Model, Mark Beattie, the National Chair of the Magistrates’ Association, said:
“The Magistrates’ Association welcomes efforts to make the justice system more efficient. We have broadly supported HM Courts & Tribunals Service’s current reform programme—of which the SJP 3:1 is a part—since its inception while pressing for wide consultation before changes are introduced. This has not always taken place, and we have been critical of this.
The SJP 3:1 pilots went well, and the new system has the potential to resolve the large number of cases currently awaiting processing. It will also make better use of magistrates’ time as it can be used while they are in court waiting for cases to start.
However, we know that some magistrates are concerned about taking on additional duties and about the impact on legal advisers, who will be on standby to support magistrates who require assistance. It is, therefore, reassuring that the system will be rolled out voluntarily, meaning that magistrates who do not wish to participate will not have to do so.
We urge the senior judiciary to continue consulting and updating magistrates throughout this process, and to keep the principle of open justice at the forefront of its decision-making. Cases dealt with via the SJP must be at least as transparent as if they were heard in open court.”
