Shatter slams judiciary over community service orders

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has issued fresh criticism of the judiciary for failing to sufficiently use his laws obliging them to consider community service when weighing up whether or not to hand down a jail term.

Mr Shatter said the view that offenders could do with “a short, sharp shock” of imprisonment was “a myth”.

Launching the Probation Service 2013 annual report, he said it was “particularly disappointing” his legislation was not being used more, particularly given the Probation Service had “capacity to take on more offenders”.