Bishop Rachel calls on Government to reset the relationship between politics and justice

This week in the House of Lords, the Bishop of Gloucester called on the Government to think again about guidance for Judges in sentencing, arguing for pre-sentence reports for all, and the depoliticization of sentencing.

She said, “We cannot pretend that circumstances and characteristics do not matter. Sentencing is threatened by this ‘am-dram‘ politics, and this Bill risks taking us backwards not forwards. I firmly believe we need less political control for sentencing, not more.”

She went on to call for, “a commitment from the Treasury, set out to Parliament, where ministers propose to expand or lengthen custodial sentences against recommendations from the Advisory Board, thus resetting the relationship between politics and justice, including the Public Purse.”