I-Appeal: Official Magistrates' Sentencing Guidelines Released on the i-Phone!
Added: (Tue Mar 10 2009)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
What crimes are normally punishable by a community order? Which by custody or a fine?
Sentencing Guidelines, from the Sentencing Guidelines Council, provide clear guidance on the appropriate sentences in the Magistrates' Court. It is a statutory obligation that every court have regard to the guidelines and if they give a sentence outside the range they must give reasons for doing so. As part of their Pocket Lawyer series, Cantaffordalawyer.com have released the official document on an i-phone application.
Instead of trawling though a clunky file; magistrates, judges, practitioners and the public now have access at the tip of their fingers. The Pocket Lawyer application is quicker and easier to use whilst drawing directly on the official document used at court.
The application has proved popular with lawyers and a revelation to many non-lawyers. David Griffith - Jones, Senior Barrister at Cantaffordalawyer.com:
"A lot of people don't realise how formulaic sentencing in the Magistrates' Court can be. The magistrates or judges are given very clear guidelines on what sentences they should be imposing. Mitigating and aggravating factors are set out. Punishment scales are set from low level fines to custody depending on the type and circumstances of the offence. Litigants in person and lawyers alike will find the i-application incredibly useful when preparing for a sentence at court. The public will find it a fascinating insight into the workings of our court system."
The full sentencing guidelines application is available for download from the iTunes Store for £2.99. A "lite" version, with motoring offences only, will shortly be available for free.