Criminal Justice: Simple, Speedy and Summary
CJSSS in the Magistrates' Courts is coming to Warwickshire...
In July 2006 the Government published: “Delivering Simple, Speedy, Summary Justice” which set out plans to radically improve the speed and effectiveness of magistrates’ courts in England and Wales.
The success of streamlining is built on three quite simple principles:
- Improved preparation from arrest to first hearing (whilst crucially ensuring that pre-court preparation is proportionate to the matter at issue).
- An expectation that first hearings will be effective in the majority of cases. That means defendants entering a plea at first hearing, being sentenced at that first hearing wherever possible, or in the event of a not guilty plea trials being set within six to eight weeks.
- A commitment to ensure cases are progressed out of court between first hearing and trial – to ensure that trials are ready to go ahead on time.
Although these principles are relatively simple they can only be achieved through the co-operation of all agencies and through the engagement and involvement of the defence practitioners.
Warwickshire criminal justice agencies are currently working together to implement these principals by October 2007.
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