Commenting on media reports about the Government’s proposed response to the Leveson Review of the Criminal Courts, Tom Franklin, Chief Executive of the Magistrates’ Association, said:
“We have long called for radical action to deal with the crisis in our justice system, and if what we are hearing about the government’s intentions are true, we welcome several of these measures.
“We welcome the government’s proposal to enable magistrates to hear a wider range of cases – those that carry a maximum sentencing range of up to two years’ imprisonment (up from one year currently). This can be introduced speedily and means that more cases will be dealt with in the magistrates’ courts, where they can be dealt with more quickly. This will ease the huge backlogs of serious cases in the crown courts.
“While we have supported the proposal to create a new tier of the crown court, we have argued that those cases should be heard by a judge and two magistrates, to ensure that ordinary people are involved in both verdict and sentencing. We stand ready to help should the government decide to revert away from judge-only trials back to Sir Brian Leveson’s original proposal.
“The criminal justice system is in a mess, with the crown court backlog so acute that some cases are being scheduled to start in 2029. Every day that a case is not heard, is intolerable delay, anguish and uncertainty, so measures that can speed up justice for victims, witnesses and defendants, are worth considering – as long they balance efficiency with quality of justice. Magistrates sit in ‘benches’ of three magistrates to hear cases, and are lay members of the public who volunteer for their magistrate duties.”
