We are determined that England and Wales should continue to use their Common Law System, with judicial precedent and its adversarial form of trial. Scotland and Northern Ireland would remain free to continue to use their own systems that are guaranteed by law.
The strength of our criminal justice system lies in regulated police procedure, an independent prosecution service and trial by jury.
The civil actions for the recovery of debts by individuals and small and medium-sized businesses must be made more efficient. Small businesses must be protected from vexatious claims.
Our criminal law must provide strong deterrent and preventative sentences for repeat offenders and those convicted of the worst crimes. While some first-time offenders react favourably to rehabilitative sentences, there are others who require strong, specific deterrent sentences to dissuade them from committing further offences. Furthermore, it is necessary to have dissuasive general deterrent sentences for potential offenders. A significant minority of offenders are irredeemable recidivists from whom society needs protection for a long, indefinite period.
The question of whether or not a sentence of capital punishment should be available to the courts for people convicted on conclusive evidence of the worst categories of murder should be decided by a referendum.