Criminal Justice and Courts Bill

The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 5 February 2014. Its second reading is expected on Monday 24 February. It is Bill 169 of 2013-14. The Bill has five parts and has eight schedules, covering:

• Criminal justice changes, including sentencing, cautions, and prisoners’ release and recall;

• Secure colleges for young offenders;

• Possession of extreme pornographic images;

• Courts and tribunal changes, including contributions towards court costs from convicted criminals;

• New provisions on contempt of court by the media and misconduct by jurors;

• Changes to the conduct and funding of judicial review claims