Cowardly criminals will be forced to face their victims’ families at sentencing hearings under a new law set to be passed this autumn, with extra time behind bars added to their term if they try to refuse. Rishi confirmed judges will be given extra powers which will apply to anyone facing a life sentence, and are the direct result of baby killer Lucy Letby declining to appear in court earlier this month. Judges will be able to whack an extra two years to a sentence without having to go through the lengthy process of charging the defendant with contempt of court…
Rishi said this morning:
“It is unacceptable that some of the country’s most horrendous criminals have refused to face their victims in court. They cannot and should not be allowed to take the coward’s way out. That’s why we are giving judges the power to order vile offenders to attend their sentencing hearings, with those who refuse facing being forced into the dock or spending longer behind bars.”
Labour are already on the attack, with Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed saying the “Conservatives have dragged their feet” on the legislation:
“We called for new laws on this back in April last year – but the Conservatives have dragged their feet. This is the fourth time in over 18 months the government has promised action – and yet again they have failed to outline a proper timeline on when they will act. In government, Labour will give judges the power to force offenders to face justice in court. The families of victims deserve nothing less.”
At the moment, the government is only committing to implementing this “as soon as parliamentary time allows“. Although Guido hears the King’s Speech, set for 7th November, might be a decent bet…
