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Department of Home Affairs to overhaul Criminal Justice Strategy

Tue, 16 Oct 2012

The Department of Home Affairs has embarked on a major exercise geared toward overhauling the Island’s Criminal Justice Strategy.

Minister Juan Watterson was given a brief by the Chief Minister to reform the existing system in an effort to make it better, simpler and faster whilst also making vital savings.

The strategy has been a year in the making and will now go out to public consultation with the feedback to shape the finished product which it’s hoped will go before Tynwald in December.

Despite having a low level of crime on the Island the prison is still relatively full, this strategy will flag up major policy areas for improvement, as well as mapping out a clear direction forward for the criminal justice system.

As it stands the average case takes 78 weeks to go to court on the Island, one of the key changes the strategy will look to implement will be a revision to the way that low level offences are dealt with, in an effort to speed up the existing court system.

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You can find a copy of the public consultation by visiting www.gov.im/Consultations.gov

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Media

• Home Affairs Minister, Juan Watterson