Written Question·Ministry of Justice·UIN 47560

Magistrates: Sentencing

Tabled: 23 April 2025
Answered: 2 May 2025

Question

Lincoln Jopp

ConservativeSpelthorne

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the sentencing powers of magistrates on court backlogs since October 2024.

Answer

Sarah Sackman
Last November, we extended magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months. It is premature to assess the impact of the policy due to the time it has been in place. The change enables more cases to be retained in the magistrates’ courts, freeing ...

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