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Riots: magistrates advised to ’disregard normal sentencing’ | UK news | The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/15/riots-magistrates-sentencing

Magistrates are being advised by the courts service to disregard normal sentencing guidelines when dealing with those convicted of offences committed in the context of last week’s riots.

The advice, given in open court by justices’ clerks, will result in cases that would usually be disposed of in magistrates courts being referred to the crown court for more severe punishment.

It may explain why some of those convicted have received punitive sentences for offences that might normally attract a far shorter term.

MI5 joins social messaging trawl for riot organisers | UK news | The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/15/mi5-social-messaging-riot-organisers-police

The security service MI5 and the electronic interception centre GCHQ have been asked by the government to join the hunt for people who organised last week’s riots, the Guardian has learned.

The agencies, the bulk of whose work normally involves catching terrorists inspired by al-Qaida, are helping the effort to catch people who used social messaging, especially BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), to mobilise looters.