Shabana Mahmood has urged the Sentencing Council to reconsider new guidance which would take account of a criminal’s ethnicity before judges decide punishment.
The Justice Secretary added she will review its powers and change the law if necessary.
It comes as Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick says new sentencing guidelines have "blatant bias against Christians and straight white men."
Mahmood has penned an open letter to Lord Justice Davis requesting a reversal of the guidelines
Her letter reads: "“I must make clear my displeasure at the direction that this guideline took in recommending differing approaches for those from ethnic minorities, cultural minorities and/or from a faith minority background.
“The guideline states that a pre-sentence report will normally be considered necessary for these cohorts. A pre-sentence report can be instrumental in assisting courts in the determination of their sentence.
“But the access to one should not be determined by an offender’s ethnicity, culture or religion. As someone who is from an ethnic minority background myself, I do not stand for differential treatment before the law like this.
“For that reason, I am requesting that you reconsider the imposition of this guideline as soon as possible."
More to follow...
Find Out More...
The Justice Secretary added she will review its powers and change the law if necessary.
It comes as Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick says new sentencing guidelines have "blatant bias against Christians and straight white men."
Mahmood has penned an open letter to Lord Justice Davis requesting a reversal of the guidelines
Her letter reads: "“I must make clear my displeasure at the direction that this guideline took in recommending differing approaches for those from ethnic minorities, cultural minorities and/or from a faith minority background.
“The guideline states that a pre-sentence report will normally be considered necessary for these cohorts. A pre-sentence report can be instrumental in assisting courts in the determination of their sentence.
“But the access to one should not be determined by an offender’s ethnicity, culture or religion. As someone who is from an ethnic minority background myself, I do not stand for differential treatment before the law like this.
“For that reason, I am requesting that you reconsider the imposition of this guideline as soon as possible."
More to follow...
Find Out More...