In brief
Local communities will have a say in sentencing in magistrates’ courts following the launch of two new initiatives by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Community impact statements will allow locals to tell the court, before it sentences, about the effect of crime in their area. Local community organisations will also be asked to tell the court what unpaid work offenders could undertake which would improve communities affected by crime. The new initiatives are part of the community justice programme, which aims to build confidence in the criminal justice system.
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