AGM 2003 Presentation - The Magistrates` Association

Inaugural Meeting

All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Magistracy 5 March 2014

Officers Chairman Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede JP Vice Chairman Sir Edward Garnier QC MP Secretary & Treasurer Kate Green OBE MP Secretariat The Magistrates’ Association

Magistrates’ Association Chairman

Richard Monkhouse JP

Deputy Chairmen

Malcolm Richardson JP John Bache JP

Chief Executive

Chris Brace

Communications Director

Ann Flintham JP

Policy & Research Officers

Gemma Birkett Jo Easton Dustin Hutchinson

Aims

The remit of this group will be:

• to raise the profile of issues which impact on magistrates’ courts • to encourage a co-ordinated approach to policies which affect the magistracy • to work through Parliamentary channels to promote the sound administration of justice

Current Issues

• 12 month sentencing • Single magistrates

• Case reviews • Sentencer supervision

• Developing the role of magistrates

Magistrates in the Community

The following is a typical presentation that the MIC Group within the MA carry out to communities from ages 10 to 80+.

We start off with a case study.

Case Study

The offences: • Section 39 Common Assault (summary only) • Criminal Damage both in a domestic setting

The issues are Bail & Sentence

Bail

• Has the defendant any history of committing offences while on bail? • Has the defendant any history of failing to attend court? • Is there any risk of defendant interfering with witnesses?

Trial

• Assume defendant found guilty after a trial

Sentencing Guidelines: Common Assault

Sentencing Guidelines: Common Assault

Sentencing Guidelines: Criminal Damage

What is your sentence?

Conversation with a bench

The bench

Brian Higgins JP Yvonne Powell JP Julie Akorley JP

The interviewer

Malcolm Richardson JP

www.magistrates-association.org.uk twitter:@MagsAssoc