ABSTRACT
The new Bill will be introduced in the House of Commons and
takes account of concerns raised both in the House of Lords and
elsewhere. The Home Secretary, Jack Straw, said:
We have responded to the fears raised about the potential
effects of the provisions relating to reputation and
livelihood in the original Mode of Trial Bill. There was a
perception that these provisions might discriminate in
favour of prosperous or employed defendants. Under the
No 2 Bill, therefore, courts would consider the
circumstances of the offences but not the circumstances
of the defendant. The changes we have made would
assist the courts to make an objective judgment on
whether the case should be tried in the magistrates’ courts
rather than the Crown Court. It would also make any
appeals on mode of trial simpler and easier to handle
[Home Office statement, 034/2000].
