Antony Bartholomeusz is an experienced criminal defence Barrister who understands the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court from the Defence perspective primarily, but also occasionally as a prosecutor adding weight to the comprehension of the case.

Here Antony takes us through the current state of play with regards to a range of Police Station Cautions and Out of Court Disposals, including significant developments under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act. Requirements in order to achieve these outcomes (and some notable difficulties) are outlined, as well as ways in which these outcomes can be challenged from a prosecution perspective. Advantages and disadvantages associated with Cautions and Out of Court Disposals are discussed.

Key words/topics:

Community Resolution

Drugs

Youth Cautions

Youth Conditional Cautions

Diversionary Cautions

Conditional Caution

Simple Caution

Penalty Notice for Disorder

Fixed Penalty Notice

Reprimand

Warning

Public Interest

Code for Crown Prosecutors

Gravity Matrix (Adult) Two Tier Framework

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act

Rehabilitation and Reparation conditions

Challenging the validity of a caution