More victims able to challenge ‘unduly lenient’ prison sentences – Ministry of Justice

‘Under plans confirmed by ministers today (17 September 2019), the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme will be extended to 14 new offences.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 17th September 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Peter Herbert becomes first judge to sue MoJ over race discrimination – The Guardian

‘A prominent judge has told an employment tribunal that race discrimination is a “significant problem” in the judiciary that it is causing “deep distress” to black and minority ethnic lawyers. Peter Herbert, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers who sits as a crown court recorder and an immigration judge, is suing the Ministry of Justice for race discrimination after he was disciplined for a speech he gave in 2015.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prisoner numbers may fall as fewer suspects charged, says MoJ – The Guardian

Posted August 30th, 2019 in Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, release on licence, sentencing, statistics by sally

‘The number of prisoners in England and Wales is projected to fall in the short term due to fewer people being charged with criminal offences.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 29th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Former top judge lambasts Grayling and Truss in memoir – The Guardian

‘The former lord chancellor Chris Grayling “never believed access to social justice” was important while Liz Truss was a “disaster” in the same role, according to a highly revealing memoir by one of the country’s most senior, recently retired judges.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Number of people dealt with by criminal justice system falls to lowest level since records began – The Independent

‘The number of people prosecuted or handed penalties for crimes in England and Wales has fallen to a record low as offences rise. Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice showed the figure dropped by 2 per cent to 1.59 million people in the year to March.’

Full Story

The Independent, 15th August 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sentencing review to look at most dangerous and prolific offenders – Ministry of Justice

‘The work, which begins immediately, will focus on whether violent and sexual offenders are serving sentences that truly reflect the severity of their crimes. It will consider whether changes in legislation are needed to lock criminals up for longer – by not letting them out automatically part-way through a sentence. It will also look at how to break the cycle of repeat offending.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 12th August 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Children in prison twice as likely to have special needs, figures show – The Independent

‘Children in prison are twice as likely to have special educational needs as those in the general population, new figures reveal, prompting concern that vulnerable teenagers are being let down by mainstream services.’

Full Story

The Independent, 4th August 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Justice secretary urges evidence-led approach to cut crime – Ministry of Justice

‘Justice Secretary David Gauke today called for an “evidence-led” approach to tackling reoffending in order to crack down on crime and reduce the number of victims.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 18th July 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

MoJ used failed sex offender treatment ‘unlawfully’ – BBC News

‘The Ministry of Justice acted “unlawfully” in allowing the Sex Offender Treatment Programme to continue for five years – despite initial research which suggested it wasn’t working, a government analyst has said.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th july 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Serco fined £22.9m over electronic tagging scandal – The Guardian

‘The outsourcing company Serco has been fined nearly £23m as part of a settlement with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over electronic tagging contracts.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Property damage “will be covered” by whiplash regime – Legal Futures

‘The whiplash portal for litigants in person will cover claims for property damage, in addition to personal injury and uninsured losses, the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) has confirmed.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 2nd July 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Anger with MoJ over whiplash reforms begins to boil over – Legal Futures

‘Both the claimant and defendant representatives have expressed frustration with the progress of the government’s whiplash reforms, and doubted it will be ready for April 2020 as planned.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 26th June 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bullied bisexual prison officer unlikely to work again, tribunal finds – The Guardian

‘A bisexual prison officer is unlikely to ever work again because the harassment and discrimination he suffered at work has permanently damaged his health, an employment tribunal has found.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

MoJ denies sex offender research ‘cover-up’ – BBC News

‘The government has denied covering up research that found a treatment programme for sex offenders in England and Wales increased reoffending. Kathryn Hopkins’s study was given to officials in 2012, but the flagship scheme was only scrapped in 2017. She has told an employment tribunal that she was “bullied” by the Ministry of Justice after producing the report.’

Full Story

BBC News, 18th June 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Knife and offensive weapon offences reach highest level for decade – The Guardian

‘Numbers of knife and offensive weapon offences have risen to their highest level for nearly a decade, with the number of cases dealt with by the criminal justice system up by more than a third since 2015, figures have revealed.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 13th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Revealed: single offender has been jailed nearly 200 times -The Guardian

‘A single offender has been sentenced to almost 200 jail terms of less than six months in their lifetime, new figures reveal, renewing calls for an overhaul of the justice system to curb the use of ineffective short sentences. The highest number of previous immediate prison sentences of under six months given to an offender sentenced in 2018 in England and Wales was 198, according to a response to a freedom of information request submitted by the charity Revolving Doors.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 23rd May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminal barristers in England and Wales to vote on walkout over pay – The Guardian

‘Criminals barristers in England and Wales are to vote over a national walkout on 1 July in protest at low fees, which they say can be as low as £46.50 for a day in court.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 24th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendment) Bill introduced to Parliament – Law Commission

‘The Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendment) Bill has been introduced into Parliament. This short technical Bill is necessary to pave the way for the main Sentencing Code Bill to be introduced as a consolidation Bill. Once passed, the Sentencing Code will introduce a “clean sweep” of the old sentencing law so that anyone convicted once the Code is in force would automatically be sentenced under the current law.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 23rd May 2019

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk/

Grayling probation changes led to ‘expensive merry-go-round’, says report – The Guardian

‘Offenders have been locked in an “expensive merry-go-round” by a key plank of Chris Grayling’s disastrous probation overhaul, which has failed to reduce reoffending, a watchdog has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Voices of children overlooked in family courts, says ex-head – BBC News

‘Family courts in England and Wales are not properly accommodating children’s voices and needs because the government has suggested “it would all cost too much”, their former head has said.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk