Part of Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:45 pm on 16 October 2007.
It seems that powers are already given to both Crown court judges and magistrates to deal with people in their absence. Perhaps I should have expressed myself more clearly. I am not entirely sure why you need additional powers to do what you probably are doing already. But I am interested to hear what you have to say about the sending of people into custody in their absence, or at least sentencing them to custody in their absence and whether you think that is a particularly sensible suggestion or power to give you.