“Custodial sentences are more likely to be given in cases heard by a district judge than lay magistrates, according to research commissioned by the Ministry of Justice. The study, published this week and carried out by Ipsos MORI, shows that district judges gave custodial sentences in 7% of cases, while lay benches used custody in 4% of cases.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 16th November 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
