§ Mr. AllanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidance has been issued to magistrates and crown courts on the trial and sentencing of asylum seekers who have been stopped in transit in the United Kingdom for bearing false documents. [89673]
§ Mr. VazThere are no guidelines for trials in these precise circumstances. Like any other criminal trial, such cases are subject to the relevant statutory provisions, rules of court, practice directions, and case law. There are also no guideline judgments reported on sentencing in these circumstances. Within the statutory sentencing framework laid down by Parliament, the nature and severity of penalties imposed by the courts are matters of judicial discretion. Guidance can however be found in recent decisions by the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), in particular inAli Osman (1999) 1CR.APP.R.(S.) 230 and Daljit Singh (1999) 1CR.APP.R.(S.)490.