The legal aid and sentencing act is being amended in the light of new policies. It will now ensure that teenagers caught with knives face a new minimum custodial sentence.
It will now contain a minimum 4 month detention and training order for 16 and 17 year olds and a 6 month detention for adults who have been convicted of carrying a knife and acting in a threatening way towards members of the public.
This new policy has been faced with open opposition from the Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke. He has stated how he prefers to give judges the discretion to set sentences based on the facts of the case and how he believes mandatory sentences for juveniles under 18 was is not part of the traditions of the British criminal justice system. He has however won his appeal to ensure under 16 year olds are not affected.
The amended act is going to cause an increased cost to the government, last year only 12% of the offences for possession of a knife resulted in a custodial sentence. An impact assessment carried out by the Ministry of Justice has showed that the extra custodial sentences are going to be an annual cost of £2-£4 million.
Many have questioned whether this is going to reduce the levels of knife crime and whether the effect is going to be in positive correlation to the costs incurred.
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