Clause 58 - Trafficking into the UK for
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
11:15 am
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield, Conservative)
What the hon. Lady says about clogging up the Crown court on the face of it is true, but equally, with an either-way offence, magistrates courts are clogged up: with, for example, plea before venue or arguments about where the case should go. So that takes more time; if the offence is indictable only, off it goes to the Crown court. Although I accept her point about clogging up the Crown court, other courts are clogged up by the procedural issues of either-way offences. In reality, it is almost inevitable that a case involving a child would be sent to the Crown court in any event.