Out of court disposals

An out of court disposal (OOCD) is an important tool used to tackle low level, and often first time, offending without having recourse to the courts. Not only do OOCDs avoid costly court appearances and save on resources, but they are also seen as a way to reduce re-offending by enabling restorative and reparative justice.

For adults in England and Wales, there are six commonly used OOCDs:

1. •

   a simple caution

2. •

   a conditional caution

3. •

   a fixed penalty (including a penalty notice for disorder)

4. •

   cannabis warning

5. •

   khat warning

6. •

   community resolution

These OOCDs are a mix of statutory and non-statutory disposals.