The Single Justice Procedure (SJP) allows for a single magistrate, sitting with a legal advisor, to deal with minor offences and negates the need for the defendant to attend court (unless they enter a not guilty plea).
In 2022, 156,848 cases were completed via the Single Justice Service, with 92% of cases having been resolved without the need for the defendant to attend court.
For individuals, examples of lesser offences dealt with via SJP are:
- Exceeding the national speed limit
- Driving without instance
- Excess vehicle load
Previously, the SJP has been only used for individuals facing prosecution. However, from 4 January 2023, this has been extended to include the prosecution of companies. This means that now, prosecutors can deal with non-imprisonable (known as summary only) offences involving companies without the need to go to court in England and Wales (unless a not guilty plea is entered).
For companies, examples of lesser offences that can be dealt with via SJP are:
- Excess vehicle weight
- Operators licence offences
- Failure to give identification of a driver
SJP will operate the same for companies as for individuals and will be dealt with by a single magistrate with a legal advisor sitting. Cases in which a defendant enters a not guilty plea will be heard in open court, and defendants even if pleading guilty can still request a hearing before the court if they wish.
It is hoped that the extension of the SJP will allow for cases to be dealt with more efficiently, in a more straightforward manner for service users, and overall reduce the length of time it takes for the case to be resolved.