Only hear cases where the defendant pleads guilty. So, presumably, these courts just dish out the penalty.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22563657
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Press notice is here:
www.gov.uk/government/news/traffic-courts-in-every-area
Intention is to filter and fast track guilty (and presumably no evidence too) cases so that they're off the books far quicker than now.
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It sounds a good idea, and can't on the face of it be faulted.
But in the greater scheme of things it further blurs the distinction between right and wrong.
Very minor offences are not now offences at all - you can simply pay a penalty and "buy" further parking for example. Most people now do not view minor motoring enfringements as wrong-doing at all.
Doesn't this scheme simply add the final point on the blurry spectrum, from criminal offence at one end of the scale through to perfectly commendable purchasing of extensions and exemptions at the other?
If you can just plead guilty, pay the fine, and it's over in 30 seconds then it won't feel like a real court, and it won't deter people from committing further "offences". rather like the police handing out easy "cautions".
They pretend to punish us, and we pretend to be chastened ?
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>> If you can just plead guilty, pay the fine, and it's over in 30 seconds
>> then it won't feel like a real court, and it won't deter people from committing
>> further "offences". rather like the police handing out easy "cautions".
Presumably these courts can hand out the same punishments as a magistrates court, although the types of cases they hear are more limited.
If that is true, then I don't see a benefit in making the process seem more like a "real court". The punishment is the one defined by the law, not having to go to a magistrates court, and sit next to muggers, and have everyone wearing wigs, and generally just being intimidated.
That said, probably much of that goes on in these traffic courts anyway (aside from the muggers).
After all, these people have effectively pleaded guilty, and will therefore take their legally defined punishment. If that legally defined punishment is not deemed sufficient then that is another matter, and it should be changed.
Police cautions are a different matter, given that they are an alternative to prosecution and a potentially more severe punishment.
Last edited by: SteelSpark on Fri 17 May 13 at 13:52
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Traffic courts - Bromptonaut
