Legal News

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to allow Magistrates’ Courts and judges to order those convicted of alcohol-related offences to be electronically tagged with ankle bracelets which measure alcohol levels in an individual’s perspiration every 30 minutes.

The move is an attempt to curb binge drinking and reduce the amount of alcohol-related crimes which are committed in city centres and other areas where there is a high density of bars and a binge drinking culture.

Once an offender is tagged, a probation officer will receive an alert if the offender has consumed any alcohol.

In cases where an offender consumes alcohol, they can be recalled to court and fined – or in some cases, jailed.

The tag works by measuring alcohol levels in sweat every 30 minutes and transmitting readings to a base station at the offender’s home. From there the readings are sent to a monitoring centre and then if necessary to another device such as a computer to inform a probation officer of an alcohol reading.

Offenders will need to return home twice during the day to enable the base station to take readings and transmit them to the monitoring centre – and then if necessary, to the probation officer.

If no readings are received for a period of two days, the monitoring centre will alert the probation officer.

The Daily Mail reports that the tags have already been trialled in south London – and will be used as an alternative penalty to prison for those who commit violent crime or are convicted of serious motoring offences after consuming alcohol.

Magistrates’ Courts will be able to order offenders to wear the tags for up to four months as part of an alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirement.

Offenders will be required to abstain from alcohol for 120 days under the scheme – and those who do not breach the order will receive no further penalty other than a police caution. More than 90% of those tagged complied with the conditions of the scheme during the pilot.

Alcohol-related crime in England and Wales costs £11 billion annually.

Criminal justice and victims minister, Mike Penning, said:

“Too much crime and antisocial behaviour is fuelled by alcohol and committed by offenders who won't control their drinking.

“I want the police and other criminal justice agencies to have the very best technology available to help them take it on.”

More than 50% of victims who were subjected to a violent attack in 2014 said their assailant had been drinking.

The government is also looking at other uses for the “booze bracelets” – including using GPS to monitor the whereabouts of offenders who are electronically tagged.

The Family Division may also consider using the devices in cases where a parent’s alcohol use might affect the welfare of their children.


Duncan Lewis Criminal Lawyers

Duncan Lewis criminal lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving alcohol-related crimes, including violent crimes such as ABH/GBH, aggravated assault, rape, antisocial behaviour or DUI.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and a criminal defence lawyer can usually reach a police station within 45 minutes for interview under caution.

For expert legal advice on all criminal charges, call Duncan Lewis criminal lawyers on 020 7923 4020.

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