Isn’t it likely that there will be more Not Guilty pleas entered by the defence?
A. It is precisely for this reason that the Streamlined Process is being tested. The process provides for advanced information to the defence and court. If the information provided is accurate and of a high quality it will meet the needs of the defence and enable the case to proceed to a guilty plea at the first hearing where appropriate. Meetings have taken place with representatives from the Law Society, Legal Services Commission (LSC) and Institute of Advanced Legal Studies representing the Peer Review Group to ensure early engagement at a national and local level with the defence community and remove any concerns that they may have. Areas are encouraged to engage with defence practitioners through the local CJ-SSS mechanisms that are already in place. The Peer Review Group have made some helpful comments and have indicated that they agree the bulk of offences can be dealt with through SP without prejudice, no doubt resulting in financial and time savings. They have received reassur
