Currently, crimes warranting a jail term of more than six months have to be sent to a crown court for sentencing.
It said keeping more cases in magistrates' courts, which have been "less severely affected" by Covid, means crown courts can better focus their resources on tackling the backlog. But Alex Cunningham, Labour's shadow courts and sentencing minister, described the move as "another sticking plaster" solution, adding: "Ministers must give assurances that greater powers for magistrates won't inflict even more burden on crown courts - with increased numbers of appeals overloading a diminishing number of criminal advocates left in the system."
Stuart Matthews, partner at criminal defence firm Reeds Solicitors, branded the decision an "easy lever to pull" and "cut-price, bottom barrel criminal justice, plumbing new depths". Training will be provided by the Judicial College to make sure the powers are used "consistently and appropriately".
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