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Introducing the market into every aspect of society is absurd beyond belief. As Rob says the criminal justice system is part of our society's infrastructure not a 'service'. Forcing defendants to make guilty pleas to avoid costs is as ridiculous as the frequent plea bargaining of serious offences down to lesser offence because a cheap guilty plea is better than a proper guilty plea.

In my time in criminal practice I saw many obvious section 18's downgraded to section 20, because a lesser guilty plea was cheaper than a not guilty trial. The best, or worst depending on your point of view, I ever saw was a textbook street robbery with all the trimmings pleaded as a section 1 theft. The impressive was always saving the CPS budget with the mentality that 20 minor convictions can be had for the price of a serious one.

If people want to live in a society underpinned by the rule of law then they have to pay taxes to get it. The mindless imperative of cutting taxes is undermining the very pillars of our society. You can have a tax free lawless society or you can pay a tithe to live in a decent one.