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
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