Page:Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.pdf/36

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28c. 43
Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980

Part I

Committal for sentence on summary trial of offence triable either way. 38. Where on the summary trial of an offence triable either way (not being an offence as regards which this section is excluded by section 33 above) a person who is not less than 17 years old is convicted of the offence, then, if on obtaining information about his character and antecedents the court is of opinion that they are such that greater punishment should be inflicted for the offence than the court has power to inflict, the court may, in accordance with section 56 of the 1967 c. 80.Criminal Justice Act 1967, commit him in custody or on bail to the Crown Court for sentence in accordance with the provisions of section 42 of the 1973 c. 62.Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973.

Cases where magistrates’ court may remit offender to another such court for sentence. 39.—(1) Where a person who has attained the age of 17 (“the offender”) has been convicted by a magistrates’ court (“the convicting court”) of an offence to which this section applies (“the instant offence”) and—

(a) it appears to the convicting court that some other magistrates’ court (“the other court”) has convicted him of another such offence in respect of which the other court has neither passed sentence on him nor committed him to the Crown Court for sentence nor dealt with him in any other way; and
(b) the other court consents to his being remitted under this section to the other court,

the convicting court may remit him to the other court to be dealt with in respect of the instant offence by the other court instead of by the convicting court.

(2) The offender, if remitted under this section, shall have no right of appeal against the order of remission.

(3) Where the convicting court remits the offender to the other court under this section, it shall adjourn the trial of the information charging him with the instant offence, and—

(a) section 128 below and all other enactments (whenever passed) relating to remand or the granting of bail in criminal proceedings shall have effect in relation to the convicting court’s power or duty to remand the offender on that adjournment as if any reference to the court to or before which the person remanded is to be brought or appear after remand were a reference to the court to which he is being remitted; and
(b) subject to subsection (4) below, the other court may deal with the case in any way in which it would have power to deal with it (including, where applicable, the remission of the offender under this section to another magistrates’ court in respect of the instant offence)