The Sentencing councils in England and Wales plan to reduce the sentences of criminals who will plead guilty at the earliest opportunity. Under the proposal, offenders must enter a plea of guilty upon arraignment.
Nonetheless, judges reserve the right to give a smaller discount if the case of the prosecution is airtight, The Times reported. In case of murder, no reduction will be offered but the judges will determine if they should receive a whole life jail term, BBC reported.
Director of independent charity group Victim Support Lucy Hastings recognizes that the proposal aims to encourage offenders to plead guilty and expedite criminal proceedings.
"Our charity knows how traumatic it can be to give evidence in court, so we support these proposals which encourage offenders to plead guilty earlier and spare their victims and witnesses an unnecessary ordeal in court," Hastings told The Guardian.
Sentencing Council Lord Justice Colman Treacy said that implementation of the proposal will also help the police and prosecution authorities to channel their resources more efficiently.
As indicated in the proposal, offenders will be able to avail of a one-third reduction to their sentence if they will plead guilty at the earliest opportunity afforded to them. Should they plead guilty at a later time before trial, their sentence will be reduced by one-fifth, if they wait until the first day of trial to admit their guilt, the sentence handed to them will be reduced by one-tenth.
In the present system, defendants delay their plea until they see the strength of the evidence of the prosecution. According to the council, a stricter and more definite guideline gives limited opportunity for offenders to play the system. Furthermore, it provides relief to the victims who will no longer endure the trauma of having to go through a trial.
Authorities clarified that the reduction in jail sentence is more of an incentive instead of a reward. Likewise, the council also noted that the plan should not be construed as pressure to plead guilty for innocent defendants.
