Magistrates will get power to give one-year jail sentences to cut backlog

Pandemic has caused huge delays in justice system but barristers claim change in England and Wales is distraction politics'

Magistrates in England and Wales will be given more sentencing powers in an attempt to tackle the backlog of cases waiting to be dealt with by criminal courts.

In the latest effort to reduce both the number of outstanding cases and the pressure faced by crown courts during the coronavirus pandemic, magistrates will be able to hand out jail terms of up to a year - double the current maximum.