Sentencing Bill 2025-09-16

Welcomes the Bill's provisions but questions the balance between rehabilitation, punishment, public safety, and restorative justice. Asks for further clarification on how to achieve this balance effectively.

Welcomes inclusion of restriction zone measures but seeks detailed information on automatic inclusion criteria, application retrospectively, and implementation specifics to ensure safety for victims, particularly women facing domestic violence.

Thanks families and activist groups for their campaign to bring about life sentences for the worst driving offences. Asks the Deputy Prime Minister to join in thanking them for raising this serious issue.

Expresses sympathy with the Bill but is concerned about the presumption against custodial sentences for those sentenced to fewer than 12 months. Sir Edward argues that short prison terms can be effective deterrents, particularly for persistent low-level offences such as shoplifting.

Raises concerns about the reliability of tagging systems in his constituency, asking the Lord Chancellor to assure that there will be adequate resources for probation services and effective supervision of tagging firms like Serco. He highlights issues faced by constituents who are victims of violent crime due to inefficient tagging.

Highlights the worrying statistic that one in 20 people in the UK will be victims of domestic violence, expressing concern about the Bill's impact on addressing this issue. He questions what measures are being proposed to tackle domestic violence specifically.

Raises concerns about the lack of mention of restorative justice in the Bill and asks for a pledge to address this omission in future legislation.

Welcomes measures dealing with offenders, particularly clauses 7 to 10, which respond to Russia's use of petty criminals. Asks the Lord Chancellor if he agrees that these criminals working with malign states will be investigated, tried and sentenced appropriately.

Directs attention to part 4 of the Bill dealing with deportation of criminal offenders. Questions the viability of clause 42 due to enhanced protections in Northern Ireland under the Windsor framework and seeks a notwithstanding clause.

Proposes an amendment that declines giving a Second Reading to the Sentencing Bill, citing concerns over increased number of dangerous criminals on the streets due to sentencing changes and lack of preparedness in HM Prison and Probation Service.

Challenges Robert Jenrick's assertion by reminding him that previous Governments had also emptied prisons, but through different means such as secret releases.

Sir Julian supports Mr. Jenrick's argument by citing an example of a prisoner receiving only 12 months for a vicious assault and then being released early, suggesting that this could lead judges to impose longer sentences to avoid early release.

The hon. Gentleman questions the effectiveness of the current government's approach, pointing out a 12% increase in foreign national offenders under their watch and challenging them to provide solutions.

In response, Mr Jenrick criticises his opponents for opposing the deportation of foreign criminals while campaigning against it. He calls for changing human rights laws to facilitate timely removals and uses examples to illustrate his points.

Mr Slaughter acknowledges the prison population issue, welcomes reforms suggested in the Bill, but raises concerns about specific measures that will increase pressure on probation services. He discusses funding issues for these services.

The right hon. Gentleman questions whether the Bill is due to a lack of prison places or an ideological stance towards rehabilitation, pressing Andy Slaughter on his position regarding this.

Welcomed the steps towards an earned progression model in the Bill and expressed concern that rehabilitative regimes remain robust. Noted a rare point of agreement with the shadow Lord Chancellor regarding the focus on combatting reoffending behaviours rather than early release goals.

Expressed concerns about clause 19 introducing a statutory obligation for joint approval from the Lord Chancellor and Lady Chief Justice for sentencing guidelines, citing potential damage to the relationship between Parliament, the Executive, and the judiciary. Proposed a triple lock including parliamentary oversight through the Justice Committee.

Welcomed Government progress in reducing IPP prisoners but noted that a resentencing exercise is needed to align sentencing with current practices.

Critiqued the previous Conservative Government for surrendering victims to lengthy trial waits and high reoffending rates. Cautiously supported the Bill but highlighted problematic provisions that need addressing. Welcomed measures such as a domestic abuse identifier, presumption against short sentences with an exclusion for domestic abuse offences.

Asked whether convicted abusers should spend longer in prison due to their actions.

Supports Mr. Darling's call for rehabilitation, citing his experience with a youth ex-offender organisation and arguing that investment in rehabilitation prevents reoffending and reduces misery.

Welcomes Government reforms but criticises the Conservative record on prison overcrowding. Supports building new prison places, community sentences over short jail terms for petty offenders, and provisions to protect victims of domestic abuse.

Questions Matt Bishop's confidence in the Government’s ability to deliver prison expansion plans due to ongoing construction issues.

Critiques the Conservative approach as incoherent, advocating for community sentences over fetishising prisons. Discusses illegal trade practices targeting children with counterfeit goods and suggests legislative changes to combat such crimes more effectively.

Agrees that addressing the root causes of offending is hard but effective, supporting community sentences as a tougher measure.

Supports the Bill for easing pressure on overcrowded prisons but raises concerns about workload for probation staff. Emphasises the need to engage with justice unions, provide proper support for community sentences, address issues of tagging technology, and ensure public benefit over private profit.

Expresses concern about discrepancies in sentencing and recounts a tragic incident where a cyclist was killed by a driver who received what the MP considers lenient punishment. Argues for stiffer sentences for causing death by careless driving, eliminating mitigating factors that allow offenders to avoid justice.

Supports the Bill as a step towards addressing issues in the prison system left by 14 years of Tory neglect. Focuses on driving bans and vehicle crime, highlighting cases where families have been let down due to backlogs in the justice system.

I have been working closely with the charity RoadPeace, which has highlighted various issues within the criminal justice system. One shocking detail is that even after someone has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, they are often allowed to continue driving until found guilty, a process which can take years. I also noted a case where a woman who killed Martyn Gall was sentenced to four and a half years in prison but will receive only five years of driving ban post-release. Another case mentioned involved a man who hit a 13-year-old girl at 60 mph; he already had a dangerous driving conviction yet received just a five-year ban upon release. The chronic reoffending issue is another concern, with nearly 20% of offenders convicted for dangerous driving having previous similar convictions. I propose longer bans and the closure of loopholes like exceptional hardship claims.

I support clause 4 of the sentencing Bill, which includes protecting victims in statutory purposes of sentencing, but believe it should explicitly mention physical and psychological harm. An example is Isabella's case where she was physically attacked and her trauma was further exacerbated by online sharing of the video attack. Clause 4 needs to be strengthened to reflect ongoing psychological harm that victims suffer long after the initial incident.

I support the Bill for meaningful justice reform, noting the damage done by previous Conservative government policies. The Bill introduces an earned progression model in prisons to reduce reoffending rates based on offender risk assessment. I also welcome measures like expanded tagging of offenders and streamlining deportation procedures for foreign national offenders, which can save taxpayer money.

Critiques the Prison Reform Bill, stating it does not address concerns about two-tier justice, politicisation of the judicial system, public safety, prison capacity expansion or deportation. Argues that the bill enables leniency and undermines justice for victims.

Questions Sarah Pochin's critique of the Prison Reform Bill, challenging her party to present concrete plans on prison capacity expansion and costs.

Responds to concerns raised by previous speakers. Discusses staffing shortages in probation services, issues with resettlement due to funding cuts, challenges faced by prisoners in accessing courses for rehabilitation, skilled worker visa system impact on prison staff recruitment, supervision of unpaid work privatisation risks, and the need for child prisoner reform.

Supports the Bill, citing its transformative reforms that target reoffending and address root causes of crime. Criticises the previous system for being under-resourced and ineffective, leading to high reoffending rates among short-term prisoners. Proposes moving away from short custodial sentences towards more effective community sentences with stricter conditions for rehabilitation. Advocates for significant investment in probation services with an additional £700 million funding and recruitment of 1,300 new probation officers.

Acknowledges some commendable measures but expresses concern over reducing the length of custody for offenders. Supports a reasoned amendment due to these concerns.

Supports the Bill, emphasising its aim to reduce reoffending rates and improve public safety through effective sentencing reforms. Criticises previous overuse of short custodial sentences that led to overcrowded prisons without sufficient rehabilitation efforts.

The Sentencing Bill will bring common sense to sentencing, focusing on an evidence-based approach to stopping reoffending and protecting victims of crime. It includes changes such as restriction zones for domestic abusers and flexible sentencing options like driving bans and travel restrictions. The bill aims to address the root causes of crime by providing rehabilitation support, addressing drug use, organised criminal behavior, mental health care, and ensuring offenders pay back their debt to society.

The Sentencing Bill introduces a presumption against short custodial sentences under 12 months except for serious risk or court order breaches. It expands community sentences, invests in offender monitoring technology, and emphasises rehabilitation through literacy programmes like Brazil's 'Remission for Reading' programme. Davies highlights high reoffending rates among young people and those with low literacy levels, advocating for targeted support to break the cycle of crime.

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Welcomes the move towards favouring community sentences over short custodial sentences. Emphasises the importance of addressing gambling disorders in criminal justice, advocating for parity with drug and alcohol dependencies. Suggests mandating rehabilitative treatment for individuals sentenced for gambling-related offences.

Supports the Bill's aim to restrict offenders' movements in public spaces, ensuring that victims are not punished and can feel safe. Highlights the injustice faced by victims whose freedom is restricted due to their fear of encountering perpetrators.

The Bill is necessary due to the inherited crisis in prisons. It ensures early release is genuinely earned by adding months to sentences for disorderly behaviour, includes rehabilitation measures proven effective, and introduces restriction zones to protect victims from offenders.

The Bill aims to address the broken criminal justice system inherited from Conservatives. It focuses on rebuilding probation services, reducing reoffending rates by providing work opportunities for ex-offenders, and supporting victims through community orders.

The Co-operative Group launched a new apprenticeship scheme for serving prisoners at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, offering rail engineering operative apprenticeships with guaranteed employment upon release. This initiative aims to address the rail skills shortage, reduce reoffending by providing qualifications and work experience before release.

The Government has inherited a criminal justice system on the brink of collapse due to 14 years of Conservative neglect. The Sentencing Bill is urgent, recognising that capacity must be built while also reforming sentences so that dangerous offenders serve long sentences but most offenders face earned progression models based on behaviour in custody.

The Bill will mean that rapists and paedophiles are let out of prison earlier, which is a permanent change to our sentencing laws. The shadow minister questioned the 2.6% charge rate for rape cases under previous governments but acknowledged this does not change the policy he supports.

The MP for Glasgow North West presents his opposition to the Bill, detailing how it undermines justice for victims of sexual crimes and child abuse. He criticises the proposal as 'shameful' policy that lets rapists and paedophiles out of prison earlier than they should.

The Government Minister defends the Bill, stating it is necessary to address a broken criminal justice system left by previous government and prioritises victims and prevention of crime. He emphasises that without the Bill, prisons will run out of places entirely with no space to lock up dangerous offenders.

Addressed issues related to trade unions and the challenges faced by probation officers due to changes in sentencing.

Spoke passionately about victims' protection, supporting specific aspects of the Bill that update statutory purposes of sentencing to consider victim protection during sentencing.

Brought expertise from his experience in the police, highlighting the issue of reoffending and advocating for better rehabilitation measures in prisons.

Raised important issues related to literacy and gambling among prisoners, seeking further conversations with the Minister about these matters.

Discussed serious cases relating to driving offences, asking for follow-up on specific cases and broader issues.

Focused on youth sentencing and the need to consider its consequences in relation to the Bill's provisions.