The Home Secretary's measure is half baked. If it is implemented, it
will soon become obvious that much time and money will be saved if the
formality of an appearance before the magistrates, with its inevitable
conclusion, were to be dispensed with completely.

If Mr Straw were to think the measure through, he would surely come
to the conclusion that it would be much more efficient if convictions
could proceed automatically on the word of a single police officer.

Dr Chris Payne,
Uxbridge, Middlesex