Clause 71 - Retrial
Criminal Justice Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 358, in
clause 71, page 43, line 35, leave out '2 months' and insert 'one month'.
We now come to consider the procedure for retrial. Because the order comes right at the end of the investigative process, the Government clearly believe that it should be possible to move speedily from the order to a retrial taking place. It is most desirable that that should happen. This is a probing amendment.
The Minister may argue that the Government want a longer period but, as I have suggested, the amendment is designed to probe why the period of two months was chosen. I am pleased that the period is as short as that, but if it could be shortened I would be even happier, because I think that the process should move with great expedition. I should be grateful to hear the rationale behind the two-month period.