Criminals who refuse to attend sentencing in England and Wales could face an additional two years in prison, under a new bill to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday. Additional powers for judges to punish offenders absent from sentencing will mean they cannot “opt out” of justice, victims’ families have said. “It is not about...
An emergency law to override new rules about how to sentence offenders from ethnic minorities will not be passed before Easter, government sources have confirmed. Guidelines due to come into effect in England and Wales on Tuesday advise judges to consider the lives of offenders from ethnic minority and other backgrounds before deciding on punishment,...
The government will introduce legislation to Parliament this week to override independent guidance on how offenders from ethnic minorities should be sentenced. It comes after the Sentencing Council refused a request from Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to reconsider its new instructions for judges. The guidelines, which come into effect on Tuesday, say judges should commission...
The government has threatened to override the body advising judges in England and Wales in a row over how ethnic minority offenders should be sentenced, days before new rules are set to take effect. It comes after the Sentencing Council refused a request from Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood for it to rethink new instructions for...