New Powers Target Prisoners Refusing Sentencing Hearings
Judges gain authority to impose sanctions including cell confinement and privilege denial for non-attendance, with specific exemptions for child visits.
Carla Rooney
New parliamentary measures will empower judges to penalize prisoners who refuse to attend their sentencing hearings.
Visits from prisoners' children will remain exempt from the new sanctions. The new rules are expected to be laid before Parliament on Thursday and are due to come into effect next year.
The Ministry of Justice claims these widened powers strengthen consequences for offenders, ensuring they can be 'appropriately punished'. The Ministry of Justice also acknowledges that longer jail time alone is unlikely to deter offenders already behind bars.
However, Pia Sinha claims the measures will punish relatives of prisoners who have committed no offense themselves. Sinha stated, "The Government should therefore be clear about the rationale for these sanctions, how their impact will be assessed, and whether they will deliver the accountability that victims’ families rightly expect."
Families of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, law graduate Zara Aleena, and mother-of-three Jan Mustafa have previously advocated for changes to these laws. Thomas Cashman, who murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, and triple crossbow and knife killer Kyle Clifford, both refused to face their punishment in court.
Catherine McKinnell stated, "Criminals should not be able to pick and choose when they face justice." McKinnell added, "Refusing to turn up to sentencing is an insult to victims and their families, and offenders must face the consequences."
Refusing to turn up to sentencing is an insult to victims and their families, and offenders must face the consequences.
Claire Waxman described the measures as "essential" and called for them to be applied "consistently by courts and prisons, so families receive the justice and accountability they deserve." This comes as nearly 2,000 prisoners across England and Wales were released this month to ease prison overcrowding.
The Ministry of Justice claims the measures will not guarantee prisoner attendance at sentencing but aim to ensure tougher consequences for refusal.