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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve liaison between the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, defence solicitors, the courts and the probation service, with particular reference to reducing the number of court adjournments. [15788] Mr. Maclean: The Government have taken many steps to improve liaison between all agencies within the criminal justice system, both nationally and locally. The work of the inter-agency trials issues group includes considering specific criminal justice system matters involving relations between the police, prosecution, courts and others. A total of 42 local inter-agency groups support the work of TIG. The Criminal Justice Consultative Council, chaired by Lord Justice Rose and comprising members of all criminal justice agencies and the legal professions, also promotes better understanding, co-operation and co-ordination in the criminal justice system. Its work is underpinned at local level by 23 area criminal justice liaison committees. Following discussion at a recent CJCC meeting, the Magistrates-Association and the Justices-Clerks-Society issued a joint statement on speedier sentencing of young offenders. It deals specifically with multiple offending and guides that courts should sentence for the offences before it rather than wait for all further alleged offences to come to trial.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

15788; 290 c520W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Criminal proceedings Courts Administration of justice Administrative delays