Sentencing Act 2020

22 Power of Crown Court on committal for sentence of person under 18 under section 16, 17 or 19

(1) This section applies where an offender is committed by a magistrates’ court for sentence under—

(a) section 16(2) (committal for sentence of young offenders on summary trial of certain serious offences),

(b) section 17(2) (committal for sentence of dangerous young offenders), or

(c) section 19(1) (committal for sentence on indication of guilty plea by child or young person with related offences).

(2) The Crown Court—

(a) must inquire into the circumstances of the case, and

(b) may deal with the offender in any way in which it could deal with the offender if the offender had been convicted of the offence on indictment before the court.

This is subject to subsections (4) and (5).

(3) Any duty or power which, apart from this subsection, would fall to be discharged or exercised by the magistrates’ court—

(a) is not to be discharged or exercised by that court, but

(b) is instead to be discharged or may instead be exercised by the Crown Court.

This does not apply to any duty imposed on a magistrates’ court by section 25(1) or (2) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (duties relating to information).

(4) Subsection (5) applies where a magistrates’ court—

(a) commits an offender under section 19(1) to be dealt with in respect of an offence (“the offence”), but

(b) does not make a statement under section 19(3) (statement of power to commit under section 16(2) or 17(2)).

(5) Unless the offender is convicted before the Crown Court of at least one of the offences for which the magistrates’ court has sent the offender for trial (see section 19(1)(a))—

(a) subsection (2)(b) does not apply, and

(b) the Crown Court may deal with the offender for the offence in any way in which the magistrates’ court could have dealt with the offender for it.