D O C U M E N T IS T H E P R O P E R T Y O F H E R B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ^ S
GOVERNMENT
COPY NO
C P ( 7 1 ) 119
r
. ,
20 O c t o b e r 1971
CABINET
C R I M I N A L JUSTICE
BILL
M e m o r a n d u m by the S e c r e t a r y of State f o r t h e H o m e D e p a r t m e n t
1.
In v i e w of the p u b l i c and P a r l i a m e n t a r y i n t e r e s t in the C r i m i n a l
J u s t i c e B i l l , m y c o l l e a g u e s m a y l i k e to h a v e , f o r i n f o r m a t i o n , a b r i e f
s t a t e m e n t of its p r i n c i p a l c o n t e n t s .
T h e y h a v e b e e n a p p r o v e d b y the H o m e
and S o c i a l A f f a i r s C o m m i t t e e .
2.
T h e o b j e c t s of the B i l l a r e i. to p r o v i d e m o r e effective m e a n s of
d e a l i n g w i t h m a j o r c r i m i n a l s , and i i . to b r o a d e n the r a n g e of a l t e r n a t i v e
m e t h o d s of d e a l i n g with the s m a l l e r f r y , w h o m a k e u p the g r e a t bulk of the
p r e s e n t p r i s o n p o p u l a t i o n and c o n t r i b u t e s u b s t a n t i a l l y to the o v e r c r o w d i n g
problem.
3.
The main proposals a r e as follows:
Reparation
A s i m p l i f i c a t i o n and e n l a r g e m e n t of the p o w e r s of the c o u r t s to o r d e r
a n o f f e n d e r to p a y c o m p e n s a t i o n to the v i c t i m .
Criminal
Bankruptcy
A l i m i t e d e x p e r i m e n t in a p p l y i n g b a n k r u p t c y p r o c e d u r e s to m a j o r
criminals.
T h e p r i m a r y object w o u l d be to d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r this
a p p r o a c h h a s p r o m i s e a s a m e a n s of d e p r i v i n g m a j o r c r i m i n a l s of
the f r u i t s of t h e i r c r i m e ;
subsidiary,
r e p a r a t i o n would be an important,
but
aim.
Penalties
T h e r e is a need to i n c r e a s e s o m e of the m a x i m u m p e n a l t i e s f o r
f i r e a r m s offences.
P e n a l t i e s f o r the m o s t s e r i o u s o f f e n c e s , s u c h
a s u s e of a f i r e a r m to r e s i s t a r r e s t , w o u l d g o u p f r o m 14 y e a r s to
life.
1
D r i v i n g d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n and c r i m e
T h e h i g h e r c o u r t s a r e to b e g i v e n p o w e r to d i s q u a l i f y f r o m d r i v i n g
a n o f f e n d e r w h o h a s u s e d a v e h i c l e in the c o m m i s s i o n of c r i m e .
F o r f e i t u r e of P r o p e r t y
T h e c o u r t s a r e to be g i v e n a g e n e r a l p o w e r to o r d e r , f o r the
p r e v e n t i o n of c r i m e , f o r f e i t u r e of p r o p e r t y in the p o s s e s s i o n of a n
offender.
T h i s w o u l d r e p l a c e the e x i s t i n g p r o v i s i o n s , w h i c h a r e
l i m i t e d in s c o p e .
S u s p e n d e d Sentence
T h e r e q u i r e m e n t that c e r t a i n s h o r t p r i s o n s e n t e n c e s should b e
s u s p e n d e d i s to be r e m o v e d , but the c o u r t s a r e to b e r e q u i r e d to
c o n s i d e r i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t an o f f e n d e r b e f o r e s e n d i n g h i m to p r i s o n
f o r the f i r s t t i m e and ( i n the c a s e of m a g i s t r a t e s c o u r t s ) t o state
their r e a s o n s for doing s o .
C o m p u l s o r y s u p e r v i s i o n by p r o b a t i o n
o f f i c e r s is to be m a d e a v a i l a b l e f o r the l o n g e r s u s p e n d e d s e n t e n c e s .
T
Parole
T h e r e w i l l b e s o m e d e v o l u t i o n of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ,
c a s e s , f r o m the P a r o l e B o a r d to the l o c a l r e v i e w
Deferred
in the l e s s
serious
committees.
Sentence
T o e n a b l e the c o u r t t o a w a i t a p r o m i s e d c h a n g e in a n o f f e n d e r ^
c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h e r e is to b e p o w e r to p o s t p o n e s e n t e n c e f o r u p to
six months.
Community Service
A n e x p e r i m e n t a l s c h e m e ( i n i t i a l l y In f o u r or f i v e a r e a s ) to e n a b l e
the c o u r t s to r e q u i r e o f f e n d e r s t o c a r r y out w o r k of s e r v i c e to the
c o m m u n i t y in their s p a r e t i m e .
T h e s c h e m e w o u l d be m a n a g e d b y
the p r o b a t i o n s e r v i c e .
F u l l u s e w o u l d b e m a d e of l o c a l v o l u n t a r y
service organisations.
Day Treatment
Centres
A n o t h e r e x p e r i m e n t ( t w o o r t h r e e c e n t r e s in the f i r s t i n s t a n c e ) , to
p r o v i d e i n t e n s i v e s u p e r v i s i o n a n d s o c i a l e d u c a t i o n f o r c e r t a i n types
of o f f e n d e r , a s a c o n d i t i o n of p r o b a t i o n .
2 Hostels
L o c a l p r o b a t i o n c o m m i t t e e s , in a d d i t i o n to the e x i s t i n g voluntary­
b o d i e s , a r e to b e g i v e n p o w e r to s e t u p and m a n a g e h o s t e l s and other
a c c o m m o d a t i o n f o r o f f e n d e r s , and f o r p e r s o n s on b a i l w h o w o u l d
o t h e r w i s e b e r e m a n d e d to p r i s o n .
4.
A B i l l with t h e s e p r o v i s i o n s (and s o m e other m i n o r c h a n g e s ) w o u l d
p r o v i d e a u s e f u l " p a c k a g e " to m e e t the o b j e c t i v e s outlined a b o v e ,
A
n u m b e r of its p r o p o s a l s a r e a v o w e d l y e x p e r i m e n t a l and c a r r y w i t h t h e m the
r i s k that they m a y not b e s u c c e s s f u l o r , though they p r o v e t h e m s e l v e s , m a y
b e d i f f i c u l t to extend m o r e w i d e l y .
But I b e l i e v e that w e c a n j u s t l y c l a i m
that w e h a v e h e r e a h a r d - h e a d e d but c o n s t r u c t i v e p o l i c y f o r i m p r o v i n g the
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of c r i m i n a l j u s t i c e .
R M Home
Office
20 O c t o b e r 1971
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