§ Mr.Tierneyasked the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor will convene a sentencing conference for stipendiary magistrates with a view to achieving a more consistent practice on the level of fines imposed for excessive speeding offences by courts in different parts of the United Kingdom.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralExisting arrangements to encourage magistrates to achieve reasonable consistency in the level of fines imposed for speeding offences already include participation by stipendiary magistrates, and my noble Friend does not consider that new arrangements for sentencing conferences for stipendiary magistrates are necessary.
§ Mr.Tierneyasked the Attorney-General if the joint consultations between the Lord Chancellor's Department, the local magistrates' courts, committees and 179W the magistrates' associations to achieve a desirable level of consistency in sentencing policies involve stipendiary magistrates.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralStipendiary magistrates frequently participate in the consultations referred to.
§ Mr.Tierneyasked the Attorney-General what arrangements are made at present to achieve a desirable level of consistency in sentencing policies in the fields of both traffic and other offences by stipendiary magistrates.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe metropolitan stipendiary magistrates meet together on a number of occasions regularly throughout the year to discuss various aspects of the administration of justice in their courts, including sentencing policies. In addition, stipendiary magistrates throughout the country frequently participate with lay magistrates in training conferences, seminars and sentencing exercises, at which sentencing policies in respect of traffic and other offences are discussed.