Northern Rail, Greater Anglia and other rail firms prosecuted alleged fare evaders under a system which allows certain offences to be prosecuted in private rather than in open court, known as the single justice procedure (SJP), after being given the power in 2016. As many as 75,000 prosecutions are thought to have been processed in that way, it was previously heard in court. In a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Brian O’Neill KC, representing Northern Rail, said both his company and Greater Anglia “recognise there was no power” to pursue such prosecutions. The hearing concerned six “test cases” of fare evasion prosecutions, with both Northern Rail and Greater Anglia dealing with three prosecutions each. In all six cases, a prosecution was brought by the rail companies via the SJP under the RRA 1889.

Source: The Star July 20, 2024 10:54 UTC