Magistrates’ courts

News

Average prison sentence rises again to 20.5 months, MoJ figures show

Official statistics for the year to June 2026 show custodial terms still lengthening in both the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts, with short sentences making up more than half of the total.

News

Prisoner who stabbed fellow inmate in the head with a pen gets 24 weeks

A 45-year-old serving an IPP sentence admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Magistrates ordered the term to run alongside the sentence he is already serving.

News

MPs warn shrinking legal aid risks miscarriages of justice

The Justice Committee says more people are representing themselves in court and urges the Government to make restoring legal aid an urgent priority.