Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2014-04-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to introduce specialisations in magistrates’ courts in England and Wales following the introduction of the Transforming Rehabilitation Agenda.

Jeremy Wright

The Government has not yet decided on the future of the provision for case reviews. We have no plans to introduce specialisation in magistrates’ courts. However, the Government is currently undertaking a review of the role of magistrates with a view to ensuring that the magistracy remains the cornerstone of our justice system. A public consultation paper will be issued later in the year. We are engaging with the magistracy and sentencers to ensure they are fully informed about the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms.