TRAFFORD MAGISTRATES
BENCH CHAIRMAN 2008

Michael Hyman JP has been elected Bench Chairman for 2008 to follow Richard Monkhouse JP who will stand down at the end of December as Chairman after his 3 years in office.

Michael has also “volunteered” to contribute to “View from the Bench” and you can find out a bit more about him there.

The two Deputy Chairmen elected for 2008 are
Marilyn Lucas JP and Roy Warren JP.

TRAFFORD M I C TEAM
RUNNERS-UP
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR 2007

As a recognition of the significant effort that everyone in the Trafford Magistrates in the Community Team, the Magistrates’ Association awarded the runner up position to Trafford.
We make presentations to schools, and adult groups to explain about the role of the Magistracy within the Criminal Justice System, so if you would like us to make a presentation to your group, please contact mic@traffordmagistrates.info. For more information please see the MIC page

Simple, Speedy, Summary Justice (CJSSS)
starts in Trafford in NOVEMBER 2007

A new initiative is being rolled out across the country over the next 12 months in an attempt to speed up the course of justice from charge to sentence (or acquittal).  The aim is simple:

• A plea will be entered at the first hearing at court
• If that plea is Guilty, then the court will proceed to sentence on that day. If reports are needed, these will generally be provided on that day.
• If the plea is Not Guilty, then at that first hearing the court will set a trial date, generally no further away than 6 weeks. There will normally be no requirement for interim hearings

There are many reasons why this doesn’t already happen. There are many within the system, who can remember when it used to happen, but over the years there have been changes which have meant that we have all become used to a system that seems to have delay built into it from the start.
Some of us have become increasingly frustrated at these delays, and we can imagine what the effect must also be on victims and witnesses (as well as defendants) and their families

However, all agencies involved in the process (Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Witness Services, Courts, Magistrates and Defence solicitors) have come together to develop systems that will speed up the process of a case through the Magistrates’ Courts.

There are many implications of CJSSS. The main one is that both Prosecution and Defence will be ready to proceed at the first hearing, This means that all documentation must have been presented to all relevant parties, which is something that does not always happen at the moment, which is why requests for adjournments are common.  

Victim Surcharge

For all offences committed after 1st April 2007, each financial penalty imposed by the courts will be accompanied by a £15 Victim Surcharge. This is required by law and the money raised from this surcharge is to fund a range of services for victims of crime and witnesses.

Collection Orders

Anyone who is fined in the court will hear the term “Collection Order” being mentioned.
Briefly, this Order allows the Court to take action to recoup the full amount of the fine, if it is left unpaid in full or in part.
There are a number of actions that can and will be taken.