Magistrates in England and Wales will be given more sentencing powers in a bid to tackle the backlog of cases waiting to be dealt with by criminal courts. In the latest effort to reduce the number of outstanding cases and the pressure faced by crown courts during the coronavirus pandemic, magistrates will be able to hand out jail terms of up to a year—double the current maximum of six months. But critics warned the plan could have the opposite effect and actually add to the backlog while branding it a “sticking plaster” solution. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) estimates this could free up almost 2,000 extra days of crown court time a year. The move will allow magistrates to sentence more serious cases they hear, such as fraud, theft, and assault. At present, crimes warranting a jail term of more than six months have to be sent to a crown …