9. Letter from the Rt Hon Sir
Igor Judge, President of the Queen's Bench Division
The restructured probation system will result
in significant changes to the involvement of the judiciary in
probation services. At present every probation board has at least
one circuit judge as a full member, participating in discussions
and sharing responsibility for the decisions of the board. The
new proposals, as we understand them, will require the probation
boards to take on an executive and contractual responsibility
in relation to offender management which will require it to compete
for probation services with other providers. The judiciary could
not be involved in any body which essentially competes for services
provided to the court. I think it would give rise to obvious conflicts
of interest in relation to offender management and would be entirely
inappropriate.
It remains critical to the sensible management
of the Criminal Justice System for an appropriate judicial contribution
to be continued to be made after the new arrangements have come
into force. For this purpose, at an appropriate stage in the consultation
process, I hope that Lord Justice Thomas, the Senior Presiding
Judge, and I will be invited to comment on how best to achieve
the continued judicial involvement in probation.
28 November 2005
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