§ 62. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his plans for achieving conformity and even-handed justice in magistrates courts, in view of recent cases of disparity in sentences.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesTraining courses and sentencing conferences assist magistrates in attaining consistency in sentencing. But the sentence to be imposed in an individual case remains a matter for the court to decide in the light of all the available information about the offence and the offender.
§ Mr. Hector Hughesis it not a sad criticism of our system of justice that there should be such disparity in the various courts? Will the Government set up an inquiry into why magistrates are not instructed to administer evenhanded justice all round?
§ Mr. ReesOf course justice matters in the law, as I fully accept, but one must take into account that local magistrates consider the local facts and circumstances and that a little inconsistency is bound to arise.