Out of Court Disposals Panel
Out of Court Disposals are a way of dealing with less serious offending without going to court.
The Out of Court Disposals Scrutiny Panel independently scrutinises the use of Out of Court Disposals in response to national recommendations following concerns about their appropriate use.
About the Panel
The Panel’s role is to assess whether an Out of Court Disposal has been appropriately used, to highlight examples of good practice and to make recommendations for improvement.
The Panel uses performance information and legislation, policy, and practice to support them in their role.
The Panel does not review individual decisions.
Findings of the Panel, together with responses to recommendations made are reported publicly. View the Out of Court Disposals Panels’ reports.
For further information about the aims and objectives, read the panel’s role profile (PDF).
Panel members
The Panel includes:
- Representatives of Magistrates, the Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesties Courts and Tribunal Services
- Youth Offending Teams
- Voluntary sector organisations who work with victims
- An Independent member.
Find out more about Panel members in the Out of Court Disposal Panels reports.
Who can join the Panel?
Volunteers are required to be:
- Over the age of 18 years old
- Living or working in Avon and Somerset
- Able to attend meetings during the day at Avon and Somerset Polices Headquarters in Portishead.
All volunteers are subject to police vetting checks.
Join the Panel
If you are interested in volunteering, email opccvolunteering@avonandsomerset.police.uk