Plea deals to speed up fraud trials

PLEA negotiations are to be introduced in British fraud trials for the first time in an attempt to raise the number of convictions for white-collar crime, the Attorney General announced today.

Under the system starting in May, prosecutors and defence lawyers in serious fraud cases will be able to strike a deal on the nature and number of charges that a defendant will face in court.

They will also be able to make a joint submission to the trial judge on the sentence that the offender - who in return will be required to agree to plead guilty - should receive.

In a crucial difference from the US system of plea bargaining, which has proved effective in bringing more offenders to justice, the ultimate power on sentencing will remain with the judge.

Announcing the reform which will narrow the issues for trial, Baroness Scotland said it would speed up fraud cases, save unnecessary expense and enable more white-collar criminals to be successfully prosecuted.