§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards magistrates courts offering discounts for guilty pleas. [13118]
§ Mr. MacleanIn common with the Crown court, magistrates courts are required by section 48 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to take account, when passing sentence, of the timing and other circumstances of a plea of guilty; and, where a discount is given, to indicate the fact This provision gave statutory force to existing practice; the principle that an early plea of guilty should attract a discount on sentence has long been reflected in the sentencing guidelines issued by the Magistrates Association.
The Government hope that this provision will help to make defendants who are guilty aware of the advantages of pleading guilty at an early stage.