Magistrates are to have their sentencing powers increased in order to reduce pressure on the Crown Courts and speed up justice, it was confirmed today (18 January 2022)
Under plans announced by Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, the maximum 6-month prison sentence that can currently be handed out by Magistrates is to be doubled to a year – freeing up an estimated 2,000 extra days of Crown Court time annually.
Today’s move will increasingly allow the serious cases heard by magistrates – such as fraud, theft and assault – to be sentenced by them too. At present, any crimes warranting a jail term of more than 6 months must be sent to Crown Court where judges determine the appropriate sentence.
Retaining more cases in the Magistrates’ Courts, which have been less severely affected by Covid, means Crown Courts can focus their resources on tackling the backlog which has built up during the pandemic.
Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said:
These plans build on the significant action taken since the start of the pandemic to drive court recovery. This includes:
The impact of these measures is already being seen. The number of outstanding cases has dropped by around 70,000 in the Magistrates’ Court since its peak in July 2020, while the caseload in Crown Court is starting to come down.
Bev Higgs, National Chair of the Magistrates’ Association said:
Notes to Editors