Lord Falconer puts simple, speedy, summary justice at heart of criminal justice shake-up

21 Jul 2006 10:15 AM

Simple, speedy and summary justice is at the heart of Government reforms to rebalance the criminal justice system and increase public confidence, Lord Falconer said today.

Lord Falconer, Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, said this when he published the Criminal Justice System Simple Speedy Summary (CJSSS) review document, Delivering Simple, Speedy, Summary Justice. The document sets out key changes that will shake-up the way the courts handle cases, connect with their communities and improve public confidence.

The new measures, published today, include piloting courts on the move to take justice closer to the people and the concept of "next day" justice where specific offences will be heard between 24 and 72 hours.

The changes will provide a modern criminal justice system responsive to 21st Century needs and expectations. This means that justice will be:

* Simple: cases that are best dealt with by way of warning, caution or some other effective remedy to prevent re-offending without the court process will not enter the courts.

* Speedy: those cases that require a court process will be dealt with as quickly as possible consistent with the needs of justice.

* Summary: a much more proportionate approach - for example dealing with appropriate cases the day after charge or during the same week.

Lord Falconer said:

"Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system. People must feel the system is fair, efficient and is protecting them from harm.

"Too many cases take too long to come to court. Processes both in court and beforehand are often lengthy and arcane and take little account of the needs of victims and witnesses. Accountability is key to ensuring that information is right and on time.

"The new measures mean that the criminal justice system and in particular the courts, will be more responsive to concerns raised by local communities, reconnecting the criminal justice system with the public it serves.

"Courts will deal speedily and effectively with low level crime and a range of sanctions that the community can demonstrably see being enforced from immediate penalties to community punishments to prison."

The measures announced today include:

* Extending the community justice programme with more courts responding to the local community on quality of life offences.

* Streamlining case management procedures in magistrates' courts in four areas to reduce the overall time between arrest and conclusion.

* Testing the concept of "next day" justice through pilots to be launched in autumn in magistrates' courts. These will aim to bring specific categories of offenders before the courts within 24-72 hours. It is expected that around 500 offences will be dealt with in this way in the first year.

* Piloting courts on the move in three locations in autumn. These courts will see justice delivered directly in the local community, for example in town halls, without necessarily the full paraphernalia of the current courts.

* Implementing national best practice in Crown court in autumn for more effective preliminary hearings, eliminating unnecessary pre-trial hearings and dealing more effectively with early guilty pleas.

Notes to Editors

1. The Criminal Justice Simple, Speedy Summary review is part of the wider Criminal Justice Review announced by the Home Office this week.

2. The review was announced by Lord Falconer in Doing Law Differently published in April 2006.

3. The new Magistrates' Courts Streamlining Project is already being piloted in four areas. These are West Cumbria, Coventry, Thames, Camberwell Green.

4. The community justice programme is currently being tested in two courts:

* The Community Justice Centre, North Liverpool, is a pioneering initiative aimed at bringing justice closer to the community. It is the first of its kind in England and Wales.

* The community justice concept is being tested within a mainstream environment at Salford Magistrates' court.

5. The Criminal Justice System Simple Speedy Summary (CJSSS) review document, Delivering Simple, Speedy, Summary Justice can be found on the DCA website at http://www.dca.gov.uk.

6. Doing Law Differently can be found on the DCA website at: http://www.dca.gov.uk.

7. The CJS Review document can be found at
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

ENDS