Magistrates should dispense on-the-spot justice, says think tank

The government should allow magistrates to dispense on-the-spot justice inside police stations at peak times, a report by a right-leaning think tank has said.

The Policy Exchange said magistrates should sit during evenings and weekends, as part of a set of proposals to speed up the judicial system.

It also suggested recruiting 10,000 new magistrates while closing more courts.

The report says there are now more magistrates' courts in England and Wales than accident and emergency departments - 230 and 180 respectively.

However, the paper - titled Future Courts - says there is nevertheless a "two-month delay" from the time an offender is charged to when they are sentenced by magistrates.

It says the delay "weakens the power of punishments and means that the system does little to change the behaviour of offenders".

Instead, courts could be closed or merged with magistrates on hand inside police stations and other community buildings to pass sentences "on-the-spot".

New "justice hubs", or larger courthouses with up to 50 courtrooms, could be built to serve major population areas, the think tank also suggests.

And it recommends measures to encourage younger, professional people to apply to be magistrates.