Douglas Carswell's Blog

Why we need directly elected Crime and Justice Commissioners

I wonder what the soon-to-be elected Police and Justice Commissioner of Surrey is likely to make of the fact that at least one local magistrate seem to think the criminal justice system should be about rehabilitation, over and above punishment? 

Writing on ConHome recently, Surrey magistrate, Julie Ilse, makes it clear that she’s a fan of restorative justice rather than prison. I wonder if local people share her enthusiasm?

She writes about the “Big Society ethos of empowering communities and individuals to find solutions.” Absolutely. And the good news is that with elected Police and Justice Commissioners, local communities and individuals, rather than just officials, get the chance to find those solutions. Whether the solutions that work are those favoured by all the local beaks remains to be seen.

If not, one could always try to democratise the way we appoint magistrates and judges?

When it comes to law and order, too many Coalition ministers are, predictably, promoting the same old establishment agenda - rehabilitation over punishment, restorative remedies and putting experts in charge. We desperately need direct democratic accountability to ensure that the interests of the local law-abiding come first - and that we get the kind of efficient, but humane, criminal justice system that Whitehall seems incapable of delivering, almost regardless of who holds office.

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