Vocal Voices

Or more "Think Tank" focus group policy-on-the-hoof pronouncement? ?Another kite?

Policy Exchange, another self-elected group of busybodies, says that magistrates should sit during evenings and weekends, and do so in police stations. It also suggests recruiting 10,000 new magistrates while closing some courts. "Justice" will be able to be handed down in record time at the new Magistrates Express. All wil be well.

However, where is the evidence that speeding things up leads to better judicial outcomes? Were not these things once known as "Kangaroo Courts" and done away with because they were bad for justice?

Well, not really sure, but anything that speeds up the slow-motion judicial system can't be bad.

Speeding things up is one thing, acting in haste is entirely another.

On reflection I would rather give the accused at least the chance of a defence. It is not as though the police are squeaky clean and always 100% right.

I'd immediately thought of this police station business as a measure in response to the closure of local Magistrates Courts (ours here in Sutton Coldfield closed last year and I understand there were vague plans to convert it into a mosque, although that rumour hasn't surfaced for a while - anyway, don't get me started on that!)

Goodness knows where 10,000 new magistrates will come from - Birmingham seems to have been chronically short of them for years, judging by the regular advertising splurges - even inside our local buses!). As an aside, I did begin to look at the possibility meself around 5-6 years ago, and visited the Magistrate's Courts, but the staff there were so unhelpful, I dropped it.

Policy Exchange are the same lot who came up with the idea of elected Police Crime Commissioners - that didn't work out too well!