Adult Out Of Court Disposals In The Police, Crime, Sentencing And Courts Bill

• Published date: 15 June 2022
• Law Firm: Hickman & Rose
• Author: Ms Aileen Colhoun

In a blog, Aileen Colhoun, partner in Hickman & Rose's Serious and General Crime department, analyses a little-noticed aspect of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill: the impact on adult out of court disposals.

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Nestled amid the 14 parts, 20 schedules and 210 clauses of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill lies a substantial reform of the framework for adult out of court disposals .

Part 6 of the new Bill, which is now entering the final stages before becoming law, significantly reduces the number of out of court disposals available to law enforcement agencies and thus increases the likelihood of an offender receiving a criminal record.

This change has not, thus far, attracted a great deal of legal comment, but it could lead to significant implications for individuals facing the prospect of a 'low-level' criminal conviction.

The new out of court disposals

Out of court disposals are a means by which a law enforcement agency such as the police can...