PETTY criminals will be spared going to court under sweeping changes unveiled by the Government today.
Prosecutors will be able to issue on-the-spot fines through police stations and offenders like TV licence dodgers will see their cases dealt with in bulk and will no longer have to face magistrates.
New mobile courts, which will be temporarily based
in places like town halls, will be tested to deal with crimes including graffiti and criminal damage.
The whole magistrates' court system will be speeded up to see some offenders, such as thieves, receive "next day" service where their cases have to be dealt within 24 to 72 hours.
Some processes in the court system such as pre-trial hearings will be scrapped and live links between police and magistrates courts will be trialed allowing offenders to give pleas without leaving their police charging cells.
Young first time offenders may not be taken to court for minor offences, but instead be made to apologise face-to-face to their victim.
Today Coun Bob McCann, shadow cabinet member for safer neighbourhoods in Sheffield, said the mobile courts may be seen as a "soft option" and result in people pleading guilty simply to avoid an appearance before magistrates.
He said: "Anything that speeds up the criminal justice system has to be welcomed because some cases take far too long to reach court.
"The mobile courts would have to be overseen by a judge otherwise who would protect civil liberties and ensure that people are not simply pleading guilty to avoid an appearance before magistrates?"
He said a Lib Dem proposal for community courts in Sheffield allowing residents to help decide how low-level offenders are dealt with would be a better option.
He said: "The Community Justice Court we want in Sheffield would give communities some say in how offenders from their neighbourhoods are dealt with - they would have control again rather than the offenders."
The proposed changes are set out in the document Delivering Simple, Speedy, Summary Justice.
Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said: "Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system.
"People must feel the system is fair, efficient and is protecting them from harm."
