Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood will gain new veto powers over an "independent" sentencing body under legislation introduced to the House of Commons today. Both she and Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr must approve all future guidelines from the Sentencing Council before they can be issued.
The Sentencing Bill represents the Government's response to a major controversy earlier this year over proposed guidelines for ethnic minority offenders. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick accused the Government of operating a "two-tier justice system" when the guidelines were initially proposed.
Government intervention after backlash
Mahmood suspended the controversial guidelines after arguing they would create "differential treatment" and undermine "public confidence in a justice system built on equality before the law". Emergency laws were used to block the guidelines following intense public pressure, according to GB News.
The Justice Secretary will also require approval of the Sentencing Council's annual business plan. She argued that policy must be set by parliamentarians who "answer to the people" rather than unelected bodies.
Balancing independence and oversight
The Ministry of Justice insists the reforms will not compromise judges' independence in individual sentencing decisions. Mahmood said: "Individual sentencing decisions will always be the responsibility of the independent judiciary - and this is something I will staunchly defend."
She added: "It is right that we now have greater democratic and judicial oversight of the direction of the council's work and the final guidelines they publish."
Prison reform measures included
The Sentencing Bill will introduce a Texas-style earned release system to prevent prisons "never running out of space again". GB News reports that Mahmood visited Estelle Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville to study the system firsthand.
The Texas system has achieved remarkable results, with reoffending rates of just 20.3% compared to the US national average of 68%, according to GB News. This comes after the Government had to activate emergency plans to delay court cases due to prison overcrowding.
Major financial investment
The Treasury has allocated £7bn to support the justice system in Rachel Reeves' Spending Review, according to City A.M. The substantial investment reflects the scale of challenges facing the justice system.
The reforms mark a significant shift towards greater political oversight of what was previously considered an independent judicial body.
Sources used: "City A.M", "GB News", "Sky News" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
