Reforms to criminal justice systems

The first 200 words of this essay...

Reforms to criminal justice systems

The Government published the Auld report on the 8th October 2001. This was a huge report, which basically reviewed the criminal courts system. Sir Robin Auld (a senior Appeal court judge) conducted this review. The review was acknowledged by the government as being a vital contributor towards establishing modern, efficient criminal courts (e.g. fewer delays in them etc.).

Auld's key recommendations include:

* Unified criminal courts, replacing the Crown and Magistrates courts, and consisting of 3 divisions. The Crown Division (which is effectively the Crown Court as we know it) would exercise jurisdiction over all indictable-only matters and the more serious either-way offences. The District Division, presided over by a District Judge or Recorder and at least 2 magistrates, would exercise jurisdiction over a mid-range of either-way matters of sufficient seriousness to merit up to 2 years custody. The Magistrates Division, constituted by a District Judge or Magistrate, which is more or less the Magistrates Courts as we know them, would deal with all summary matters as presently defined and less serious either-way cases. Controversially, the courts in the Magistrates Division would allocate all either-way cases according to the