The Government brought forward the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill after new guidelines for judges to consider a criminal’s ethnicity before sentencing prompted claims of a “two-tier” justice system.
The Bill aims to clarify that guidance relating to sentencing reports should not single out specific groups of people for differential treatment when it comes to ordering pre-sentencing reports, which help judges make decisions.
MPs approved the Bill at second reading on Tuesday evening and it will undergo further scrutiny next week.
New guidelines from the independent Sentencing Council were scheduled to come into force earlier this month but were delayed due to the Bill tabled by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
The council’s guidelines for judges said a pre-sentence report would usually be needed before sentencing someone of an ethnic, cultural or faith minority, alongside other groups such as young adults aged 18 to 25, women and pregnant women.
The Bill would ban the Sentencing Council from making guidelines about pre-sentence reports with specific reference to an offender’s personal characteristics.
Ms Mahmood told the Commons: “Addressing inequalities in the justice system is something this Government takes very seriously and we’re determined to increase confidence in its outcomes, which is why we’re working with the judiciary to make the system more representative of the public that it serves.
“I’ve also commissioned a review of the data my department holds on disparities in the justice system to better understand the drivers of the problem.
“But while I agree with the Sentencing Council’s diagnosis, I believe they have prescribed the wrong cure.
“Goin...
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