A COMMONSENSE approach to speeding up the judicial system could result in an extension to court opening hours.

The suggestion by Hampshire's top police officer has been sparked by the efficiency shown in dealing with defendants over the August riots.

With this in mind, Chief Constable Alex Marshall has queried whether the current opening hours are right for today's justice system.

The benefits of weekend and evening sittings in dealing with those charged with disorder offences became clear when many of the riot cases were dealt with in days or even hours, rather than the usual weeks or months.

For full story, see this week's Liphook Herald.