Robert Jenrick savaged over 'cynical' plan to abolish Sentencing Council

Robert Jenrick’s plan to abolish the Sentencing Council has been savaged as a “cynical gimmick”.

The Shadow Justice Secretary is accused of further undermining the independence of the judiciary as he seeks to hand more power to politicians.

In a speech on Tuesday at the Tory Party conference in Manchester, he will accuse the Sentencing Council of watering down sentences and argue that ministers should have more power. He is expected to set out plans to put ministers in charge of sentencing policy.

It comes amid repeated attacks from Mr Jenrick against what he claims are activist judges who are bringing their politics to the courtroom.

Labour said the announcement signalled “yet more rank hypocrisy” after the Tories wrecked the justice system during its 14 years in power.

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A major review into sentencing found the gradual increase of prison sentences - and a lack of expansion of jail spaces by the Conservatives - is among factors to have caused prisons to be “bursting at the seams”.

A Labour spokesman said: “This is yet more rank hypocrisy from a Conservative Party that wrecked our justice system and left Labour to pick up the pieces.

“After fourteen years of Tory neglect, our prisons were left bursting at the seams because they didn’t build enough prisons, our courts overwhelmed, and public confidence in the justice system was left shattered.

“This is just another cynical gimmick from Jenrick, a man who constantly undermines the independence of the judiciary just to further his own career.”

The Government recently announced a clampdown on the Sentencing Council after a row over two-tier justice. Ministers have banned the independent body from issuing guidelines for judges.

It came after the Government criticised the Sentencing Council for recommending judges take into account factors such as ethnicity or gender when deciding whether to ask for a pre-sentence report.

In his speech on Tuesday, Mr Jenrick will say: “We are slipping into a two-tier nightmare under Keir Starmer. All too frequently the law is not applied equally. No more - every single person in this country must be treated exactly the same, regardless of their background.”

Law Society of England and Wales president Richard Atkinson said: “We continue to advocate for systems which maintain the independence of the judiciary and reflect respect for the rule of law.

“Sentencing guidelines are important to the courts to ensure consistency, while allowing judges discretion to get the sentence correct for the particular offence and offender, within the framework set by Parliament.”

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