Court charges make a mockery of justice

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/aug/24/court-charges-make-a-mockery-of-justice

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I have given in my resignation as a magistrate as I can no longer abide by the judicial oath “will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm, without fear or favour, affection or ill will”. At my last sitting I sat on two cases. The first involved a theft of £5.86 and resulted in a total financial imposition of £385 for an unemployed young man. The second was an unemployed young man who put excessive toilet roll down a police-cell toilet and ended up with a total financial penalty of £410. These ridiculous amounts are down to the crazy new court charges (Magistrates resign over court charges that encourage innocent to plead guilty, 31 July). After over 21 years as a magistrate, I cannot impose a sentence without fear. I am afraid these new court charges are going to destroy ordinary people’s conception of a fair British judicial system.

The latest idiotic idea on imposing court charges bears no semblance whatsoever to justice being done or being seen to be done. Those facing any kind of court charge will now weigh up very carefully what a court appearance could cost them, irrespective of whether they believe they actually committed the alleged offence. Alleged offenders in Shropshire now travel vast distances regardless of their means or ability to get to court. Again, this is not an issue if you have the means but, as we know, a disproportionate number of offenders do not have appropriate financial means. The British judicial system was based on the bedrock that justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done as well. It should not be a system where justice should be done only to those who are rich enough to afford it.

I wish the magistracy well in an uncertain future and hope that some of the principles of the British judicial system can be upheld in the future. I have my doubts on this though.R StilwellBridgnorth, Shropshire