CURFEWS AND PMQs

It is rare for a decision in a magistrates` court to be the subject of a question to the prime minister during PMQs  but that was the case earlier this week.  Cases such as this occur daily.  

On 11/10/2015 on the topic of curfews  I posted, "The imposition of a curfew with electronic monitoring is considered as a sentence involving loss of liberty. It is described in Sentencing Guidelines to be used, “where the punishment of the offender and/or the need to safeguard the public and prevent re-offending are the most important concerns”. However there is surprisingly little “guidance” on when and to what degree it should be imposed save for the statutory limits; a maximum of 16 hours daily and for not greater than 12 months duration. For sentencers the attractions of such a disposal are that it can be imposed without a pre sentence report or without an offender being legally represented and more significantly it can therefore be imposed immediately after a guilty plea or found guilty after trial. In the terms of CJSSS it is Criminal Justice Simple, Speedy and Summary.



Before such an imposition a court will always consider an offender`s lifestyle eg family obligations, employment requirements, type of residence and any other considerations brought to its attention including perhaps travel arrangements previously made and/or paid for insofar as their possibly having a bearing on the proposed terms. It is a matter of judgement of the court on the weight put upon any objections made. In our current position it is rare indeed for my colleagues and me to be allowed to use our judgement so proscribed are many decisions.


Similar judgements have to be made when an application is made in court for curfew conditions to be altered. I`m sure that most J.P.s have heard , as I have, many tales based on the old adage, “I need to go to a funeral. My grandma has died in Ireland, Poland, Lithuania….etc etc” or anywhere far enough away to require some days and nights away from the registered address. Holidays, pre and post booked, are another reason often cited to alter the curfew. And of course those imposed before and including Christmas and new year will bring pleas of once in a lifetime family re-unions etc. "  On 5/11/2015 I followed up on the topic of varying a curfew.


This type of decision often leaves an open goal for lazy reporters and sub editors to score easy headlines and in this case  for an MP to have thirty seconds on PMQs.  But there is an underlying concern that benches are too easily swayed by smooth talking lawyers.  There is no "loophole" in the law.  To remove the option of a variation in a curfew is akin to removing a right of appeal against sentence. The problem as is often the case in such matters is the application of such a right and the ability of J.P.s to deal logically and with dispassion on all that comes before them.