"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. The public are sick of voting for tougher sentences and getting the opposite."
"The Sentencing Council is a non-departmental public body that sets out guidance for courts in England and Wales."
"Sentencing policy "must be set by parliamentarians, who answer to the people"."
The Conservative party proposes abolishing the Sentencing Council and transferring authority to ministers to issue sentencing guidelines for courts in England and Wales. The move follows a public dispute earlier in the year between the Sentencing Council and the government over pre-sentence reports for offenders from certain minority groups. The government has already blocked updated guidance and moved to give the justice secretary veto powers through the Sentencing Bill. Conservatives argue the council has watered down sentences, created unequal treatment, and that sentencing policy should be set by elected parliamentarians accountable to the public.
Read at www.bbc.com
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