VOLUNTEERS should dish out justice in their own community, says a report launched by Home Office minister Hazel Blears this week.
New courts should deal with neighbour disputes, minor offences like petty theft, vandalism, drunk and disorderly behaviour and anti-social behaviour.
Offenders could be forced to attend drug treatment courses, carry out community services like repairing damaged property or offer reparations to the victim.
And they would be staffed by volunteers, backed by the Probation Service, the Institute for Public Policy Research proposes.
Anyone could apply to sit on the Community Justice Panels (COPs), according to the IPPR, Tony Blair's favourite think-tank.
The panels would seem less remote than existing Magistrates courts, said the report's author Ben Rogers.
"Although crime has fallen over the last decade, crime and anti-social behaviour remain a central concern to people," he said.
"Yet the criminal justice system is too often perceived as remote and unresponsive.
Effective
"Research shows that local, visible institutions that engage the public are more trusted than remote and anonymous ones.
"Introducing Community Offender Panels or COPs could provide an effective way of bringing the criminal justice system closer to the community."
The proposal builds on a trial scheme set up in Somerset last year, itself an extension of the Youth Offender Panels (YOPs).
Set up after a local magistrates court closed, the Chard and Ilminster Community Justice Panel has dealt with drunk driving, speeding, vandalism and warring neighbours.
It has won widespread backing from police, the council and local people.
Like magistrates, COPs volunteers would received three days of training, the IPPR proposes.
Three people, a chair and two others, would be drawn from the pool of trained volunteers to oversee proceedings.
Neighbourhoods could have a number of panels, depending on case loads, with each handling six to 20 cases each year.
Ms Blears will launch the report at an event on Tuesday.
What do you think of a community court? Have your say.
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Are my eyes deceiving me, this actuallyseems to have the makings of a good idea. How practical it it and how much authority these Volunteers have I guess is debatable. However I'd sign up for that right away! Where do I sign?
What a cop out! Another tier of bureaucracy being suggested that attempts to divert us away from the real world. Hazel Blears may consider these offences to be minor but what about the victim. Everytime crime is mentioned little or nothing is made of the despair, horror, pain and concern imposed on the unwitting victims of such acts. What will they suggest next - the community operates it's own prison - operates it's own police force. Get real Ms Blears and get to the root of this country's criminal ills - be MORE ruthless with offenders and let them share the same feelings that their victims directly and indriectly suffer. No cop outs with community programmes that are pointless for everone except the politicians.
Yea right Hazel Blears come into the real world. Who is going to deal with the intimidation that will come with the job?
Has blair finally flipped?
Hold on Colin!
Getting your windows bricked your car smashed, your family intimidated and worse are not going to happen if like Ms Blears you live in an Ivory tower - but if you live in a inner city area ???????
It's a little bit worrying that Hazel Blears doesn't seem to understand that these courts have existed for hundreds of years - they're called Magistrates Courts.
All magistrates are volunteers. They receive no pay for giving up their time to sit on the Bench. All they receive is a very minimal mileage allowance - you've even got to buy your own butties!
I feel pretty sure that the new proposed 'community courts' would have to have trained people in the background (just like the magistrates courts), to ensure that a 'bench' can mete out a certain punishment; that there would be maximum fines and sentences that could be applied (again like magistrate courts) and that the people who would be 'sitting in judgement' would have to come from the community in which the community court was situated (gosh, yet again just like the magistrates courts).
Tell you what Hazel, why don't you go and find out that these courts are already in existence and THEN go and do some real work that will benefit the people you're supposed to be representing.
Sounds great in principle (..like many half-baked ideas!) but, like the rest of our ironically named "justice system", there will be severe restrictions on what punishments can actually be dished out. All points towards yet more soft treatment for criminals!