Magistrates sentencing powers to be doubled to tackle backlog of court cases
Magistrates sentencing powers to be doubled to tackle backlog of court cases
The Covid pandemic has led to a backlog of cases which could persist for ‘many years’ (Picture: Getty)
Magistrates will be given powers to impose tougher sentences to help tackle a backlog of criminal cases created by the pandemic.
They will be able to hand jail terms of up to a year — double the current six months — and hear more serious cases such as fraud, theft and assault.
Crimes warranting…