Clause 15 - Appeals by prosecution
Criminal Justice Bill
9:15 am
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield, Conservative)
I am grateful to the Minister for his exposé of the Government's reasoning, which seems totally coherent. In view of that and of the CPS guidelines in particular—which would, I hope, avoid ping-ponging, with the courts being cluttered up with applications on relatively minor cases—I shall withdraw the amendment.
I say in passing that the provisions raise the prospect of further increasing the prison population. Given that the Government are now sending out mixed signals as to whether burglars should be imprisoned for first-time offences, a situation whereby those who have committed minor offences of criminal damage are kept in custody might lead the public to think that some of our priorities are slightly skewed. However, I accept that some instances of relatively minor criminal damage, especially if persistently committed by those out on bail, are exceptionally antisocial, and are good grounds for withdrawing bail. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.