FASHION CRIMES COULD BE MORE REAL THAN YOU THINK

Empty shops would be converted and used to deal with hundreds of offenders each year. Some hearings could take place in glass-fronted units open to public view.

A key aim of the plan is to reduce the time that victims, witnesses, and others spend travelling to hearings by allowing more cases to be dealt with close to where the people involved live or work.

The change, under which hearings would take place on Saturdays and during the evenings as well as weekdays, would also save millions of pounds of taxpayers' money by allowing some existing court buildings, which are often under-used and expensive to operate, to be closed.

The Magistrates' Association, which is preparing to submit its ideas to ministers, believes the move would allow cases to be completed more swiftly, cutting costs and minimising the disruption caused to both victims and offenders.

Text pulled from London Evening Standard - Read the full article here.