Overview

• The Sentencing Council has rejected calls from Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to revise new sentencing guidelines set to take effect on April 1, 2025.
• The guidelines recommend pre-sentence reports for offenders from ethnic, cultural, and faith minorities, as well as other specific groups like young adults and pregnant women.
• Mahmood and Prime Minister Keir Starmer are exploring emergency legislation to override the guidelines, citing concerns about fairness and public confidence in the justice system.
• The Sentencing Council defends the guidelines as a measure to ensure fair sentencing and address disparities highlighted by the 2017 Lammy Review.
• The government is also reviewing the role and independence of the Sentencing Council, with some politicians calling for its abolition.