New courts to deal with traffic offences
Discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22563657
bbc said:
Dedicated traffic courts are to be set up in England and Wales to prosecute minor motoring offences following a pilot scheme in nine areas.
The move is part of a drive to cut delays in the criminal justice system and free up magistrates courts to deal with more serious cases.
Each year, 500,000 minor motoring offences go through the courts.
Ministers say such cases clog up the courts, which should be dealing with more serious offences.
I'm not sure if I'm missing something crucial here but how will this be different to the current system? Is it merely that they want to create a new court just for motoring offences thus removing them from the magistrates?The move is part of a drive to cut delays in the criminal justice system and free up magistrates courts to deal with more serious cases.
Each year, 500,000 minor motoring offences go through the courts.
Ministers say such cases clog up the courts, which should be dealing with more serious offences.
Edited by Silver on Friday 17th May 10:43
Perhaps the idea is that these courts can focus on, specialise in and become experienced in traffic stuff, thus becoming more efficient.
So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
CommanderJameson said:
Perhaps the idea is that these courts can focus on, specialise in and become experienced in traffic stuff, thus becoming more efficient.
So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
The article says that they will only deal with guilty pleas, not guilty still going to the mags.So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
Einion Yrth said:
CommanderJameson said:
Perhaps the idea is that these courts can focus on, specialise in and become experienced in traffic stuff, thus becoming more efficient.
So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
The article says that they will only deal with guilty pleas, not guilty still going to the mags.So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
Einion Yrth said:
The article says that they will only deal with guilty pleas, not guilty still going to the mags.
They must have started doing this already in some places.There was a thread the other day where a guy was told at very short notice his case was going to be held in a court that only dealt in guilty pleas. He sent a fax to object which nobody acted on, but the case still did get heard but was ajourned due to his non-attendance.
CommanderJameson said:
Perhaps the idea is that these courts can focus on, specialise in and become experienced in traffic stuff, thus becoming more efficient.
So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
Right on Commander - you are 1000% right.So when your Freeman-on-The-Land PACE-wielding LTI-20/20 Calibration-demanding wild-eyed nutter turns up, you don't waste hours and hours working out if the loony's got a point or not, you just go "no. no. no. no. Six points, £250, £15 surcharge, now get out of my courtroom."
The gubberment thinks that too many people are putting up defences to these sort of offences (how DARE they) and this cannot be allowed to continue, so they're setting up "sausage factory" courts to prevent Defendants having their day in court to mount a proper defence in a proper court.
Silver said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22563657
What is classed as a minor traffic offence?bbc said:
Dedicated traffic courts are to be set up in England and Wales to prosecute minor motoring offences following a pilot scheme in nine areas.
The move is part of a drive to cut delays in the criminal justice system and free up magistrates courts to deal with more serious cases.
Each year, 500,000 minor motoring offences go through the courts.
Ministers say such cases clog up the courts, which should be dealing with more serious offences.
I'm not sure if I'm missing something crucial here but how will this be different to the current system? Is it merely that they want to create a new court just for motoring offences thus removing them from the magistrates?The move is part of a drive to cut delays in the criminal justice system and free up magistrates courts to deal with more serious cases.
Each year, 500,000 minor motoring offences go through the courts.
Ministers say such cases clog up the courts, which should be dealing with more serious offences.
Edited by Silver on Friday 17th May 10:43
The very simplest solution is that actually, these very minor offences really shouldn't be offences at all. Poof, half a million magistrates court cases gone to free up time for more worth while ventures.
Of course that doesn't work out very well in a jobs for the boys case... of course we need to set up a whole new court system instead. Likely at great expense.
RSoovy4 said:
The gubberment thinks that too many people are putting up defences to these sort of offences (how DARE they) and this cannot be allowed to continue, so they're setting up "sausage factory" courts to prevent Defendants having their day in court to mount a proper defence in a proper court.
I stand to be corrected by a legal expert such as yourself, but it would be quite unusual to defend a guilty plea wouldn't it?As stated above, not guilty pleas will still be heard by the magistrates; a scenario in which defence would be more traditional.
Perec said:
RSoovy4 said:
The gubberment thinks that too many people are putting up defences to these sort of offences (how DARE they) and this cannot be allowed to continue, so they're setting up "sausage factory" courts to prevent Defendants having their day in court to mount a proper defence in a proper court.
I stand to be corrected by a legal expert such as yourself, but it would be quite unusual to defend a guilty plea wouldn't it?As stated above, not guilty pleas will still be heard by the magistrates; a scenario in which defence would be more traditional.
RSoovy4 said:
Perec said:
RSoovy4 said:
The gubberment thinks that too many people are putting up defences to these sort of offences (how DARE they) and this cannot be allowed to continue, so they're setting up "sausage factory" courts to prevent Defendants having their day in court to mount a proper defence in a proper court.
I stand to be corrected by a legal expert such as yourself, but it would be quite unusual to defend a guilty plea wouldn't it?As stated above, not guilty pleas will still be heard by the magistrates; a scenario in which defence would be more traditional.
RSoovy4 said:
Perec said:
RSoovy4 said:
The gubberment thinks that too many people are putting up defences to these sort of offences (how DARE they) and this cannot be allowed to continue, so they're setting up "sausage factory" courts to prevent Defendants having their day in court to mount a proper defence in a proper court.
I stand to be corrected by a legal expert such as yourself, but it would be quite unusual to defend a guilty plea wouldn't it?As stated above, not guilty pleas will still be heard by the magistrates; a scenario in which defence would be more traditional.
FunkyNige said:
Einion Yrth said:
The article says that they will only deal with guilty pleas, not guilty still going to the mags.
Can't they deal with guilty pleas by email?The Court system is already a time and money wasting farago of incompetence this will just waste more money but provide even more fodder for the lawyers and officials.
Silver said:
how will this be different to the current system? Is it merely that they want to create a new court just for motoring offences thus removing them from the magistrates?
Define "court".All this proposal amounts to is moving minor motoring offences/administration out of the magistrates court office and into a cheap-n-cheerful old office somewhere else. Just like the parking fines, bus lane fines etc. And probably privatised.
Ozzie Osmond said:
Define "court".
Well, it was the report which used the word 'court' so I just repeated it in the absence of another description.Ozzie Osmond said:
All this proposal amounts to is moving minor motoring offences/administration out of the magistrates court office and into a cheap-n-cheerful old office somewhere else. Just like the parking fines, bus lane fines etc. And probably privatised.
That was my interpretation too. But I had thought that the majority of minor traffic offences were dealt with by FPN and only went to a magistrate if the motorist was challenging the FPN or the offence was deemed to be over the boundary of an FPN (like being caught at over 100mph for example).I just couldn't really see the point of creating a whole new process just for traffic offences.
singlecoil said:
RSoovy4 said:
Perec said:
RSoovy4 said:
The gubberment thinks that too many people are putting up defences to these sort of offences (how DARE they) and this cannot be allowed to continue, so they're setting up "sausage factory" courts to prevent Defendants having their day in court to mount a proper defence in a proper court.
I stand to be corrected by a legal expert such as yourself, but it would be quite unusual to defend a guilty plea wouldn't it?As stated above, not guilty pleas will still be heard by the magistrates; a scenario in which defence would be more traditional.
RSoovy4 said:
singlecoil said:
RSoovy4 said:
Perec said:
RSoovy4 said:
The gubberment thinks that too many people are putting up defences to these sort of offences (how DARE they) and this cannot be allowed to continue, so they're setting up "sausage factory" courts to prevent Defendants having their day in court to mount a proper defence in a proper court.
I stand to be corrected by a legal expert such as yourself, but it would be quite unusual to defend a guilty plea wouldn't it?As stated above, not guilty pleas will still be heard by the magistrates; a scenario in which defence would be more traditional.
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