Report suggests justice hub plans

Derbyshire courts, police and solicitors have been looking at details of report recommending magistrates should be allowed to dispense on-the-spot justice inside police stations at peak times.
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Policy Exchange said magistrates should sit during evenings and weekends and suggested recruiting 10,000 new magistrates while closing more courts.

The report - entitled Future Courts - comes as Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service faces cut its budget by 2016.

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It stated there is a two-month delay from the time an offender is charged to sentencing and justice hubs would mean swifter justice for low level crime.

Justice Minister Damian Green said the Government was looking at magistrates’ roles and the report had interesting ideas.

The Magistrates Association is concerned having courts in police stations could lead to people believing there is collusion between police and courts.