Bar association slams plea bargain reforms
11 Mar 08
Aberdeen group says new practice is an attempt to get justice on the cheap
The Aberdeen Bar Association has criticised new plea bargain practices, which it says will bribe people into pleading guilty.
The new scheme, which came into effect yesterday as part of the summary justice reforms, applies where an accused appears from custody intending to plead not guilty. It allows the procurator fiscal to offer to drop some charges in return for a plea of guilty to others. The Aberdeen Bar Association says this does not give defence lawyers the chance to assess the evidence against their clients.
Mike Munro, the President of the association, claimed there had been no discussion between the Crown Office and solicitors about the move and accused the Crown Office of trying to get "justice on the cheap" so that cases do not have to go to trial. Mr Munro said the defence solicitor would have to rely on a summary from the Crown of evidence produced by the police.
The Crown Office said the legal profession had been told of the new scheme during a consultation exercise in 2007, and that plea bargaining would only be done in certain cases where it might be possible to resolve the case at the earliest opportunity.