Part of Criminal Justice Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 5:11 pm on 6 February 2003.
Mr James Cran
Conservative, Beverley and Holderness
5:11,
6 February 2003
With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:
New Clause 11—Custodial sentences for burglars—
'(1) Anyone convicted of the offence of burglary should be sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison, save for the exceptions given in subsection (2) below.
(2) The court may disregard the mandatory custodial sentence for burglars in subsection (1) above if, and only if—
(a) it is the individual's first conviction for burglary; and
(b) the court judges that the case includes exceptional circumstances, as in subsection (3) below.
(3) ''Exceptional circumstances'' includes—
(a) that the court judges that the defendant is unlikely to reoffend; and
(b) that the offence for which the defendant is found guilty does not include any violent or threatening behaviour or other aggravating features.'.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
