December 4, 2008: PRT Respond To Queen's Speech

In response to the Queen’s Speech, which includes provision for a bill to establish a sentencing council for England and Wales, Prison Reform Trust director Juliet Lyon commented:

“This Bill could be used to end years of sentence inflation and crisis management in prisons by putting sentencing on a sounder footing. A sentencing council or commission for England and Wales could ensure greater consistency among judges, without fettering their discretion or independence, depoliticise sentencing and restore public confidence in the justice system.

“It’s time to take the political sting out and introduce some sense into sentencing policy. A thoughtfully constructed sentencing council could be an authoritative source of trusted information for politicians, sentencers and the public alike.”

The Prison Reform Trust also welcomed the re-introduction of a Coroners’ Bill which would address delays in inquests following a death in custody and could dispense with the objectionable practice of means testing bereaved families before granting, or refusing, legal representation in the coroner’s court.

In July 2008 the Prison Reform Trust published a report recommending the establishment of a sentencing commission serving three main functions:

• Providing guidance to sentencers;
• Gathering and providing information and statistics for monitoring, planning and policy development;
• Community engagement – to inform and consult with the public.