Law Weblog

Diverting offenders: fixed penalties and reparation instead of court

Friday 20 January 2006 at 9:03 am | In News | Post Comment

The intention to divert more offenders from the court system would affect about 200,000 not 1 million as was reported in the press this week.

Diverting offenders from the court system is not new. Police for years have issued cautions to offenders who admit their guilt and fixed penalty tickets have been available for twenty years. The Crown Prosecution Service’s “conditional cautions” is to be extended throughout England and Wales.

In exchange for a caution the offender agrees to rehabilitation or reparation. He might start drug rehabilitation, or clean off graffiti. The reason this is controversial is because it transfers a quasi-judicial role to Crown Prosecutors.

What is proposed is diversion for not having a TV licence not paying council tax and other low level criminal offences.

News item here