Barrister Sam Fowles launched into a fierce defence of controversial new sentencing guidelines that would require pre-sentence reports for defendants from ethnic, cultural or faith minorities.
Speaking on GB News, Fowles furiously claimed Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood "hasn't read the sentencing guidelines" in her opposition to the changes.
The guidelines, published by the Sentencing Council and due to come into force in April, have sparked a heated political row.
Fowles described Mahmood's response as "incredibly poor" and suggested she was capitulating to what he termed a "two-tier policing conspiracy theory".
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has firmly opposed the new guidelines, stating she will be writing to the Sentencing Council to "register my displeasure" and "recommend reversing this change".
Speaking in the Commons, Mahmood said: "As somebody from an ethnic minority background, I do not stand for any differential treatment before the law for anyone."
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Speaking on GB News, Fowles said: "Well, with the greatest respect to the Justice Secretary, who is a good lawyer, she hasn't read the sentencing guidelines.
"All I'm doing is reading out what the guidelines regarding sentencing are saying. And to be honest, I think her response is incredibly poor.
"This is part of an ongoing attempt to promote a two-tier policing conspiracy theory, which is being spread by foreign, far-right billionaires to attack the way the UK deals with terror."
GB News host Andrew Pierce argued: "But Shabana Mahmood is not a far-right billionaire. She's a proud Muslim."
He fumed: "She is caving to this conspiracy theory rather than calling it out, which is what she should be saying. The two-tier policing conspiracy theory is rubbish.
"What Robert Jenrick is saying is rubbish, and it is also, arguably, in my view, racist to be saying we shouldn't take action."
The new guidelines detail that pre-sentence reports would usually be necessary before sentencing someone from an ethnic, cultural or faith minority.
Similar requirements would apply to other groups, including young adults aged 18 to 25, women and pregnant women.
The Sentencing Council said greater emphasis has been placed on the "critical role" of these reports.
They provide courts with comprehensive information about the offender and the circumstances of the crime.
Lord Justice William Davis, chairman of the Sentencing Council, defended the updated guidance.
He said the changes aim to ensure courts have the "most comprehensive information available" to hand out appropriate sentences.
Find Out More...
Speaking on GB News, Fowles furiously claimed Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood "hasn't read the sentencing guidelines" in her opposition to the changes.
The guidelines, published by the Sentencing Council and due to come into force in April, have sparked a heated political row.
Fowles described Mahmood's response as "incredibly poor" and suggested she was capitulating to what he termed a "two-tier policing conspiracy theory".
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has firmly opposed the new guidelines, stating she will be writing to the Sentencing Council to "register my displeasure" and "recommend reversing this change".
Speaking in the Commons, Mahmood said: "As somebody from an ethnic minority background, I do not stand for any differential treatment before the law for anyone."
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Speaking on GB News, Fowles said: "Well, with the greatest respect to the Justice Secretary, who is a good lawyer, she hasn't read the sentencing guidelines.
"All I'm doing is reading out what the guidelines regarding sentencing are saying. And to be honest, I think her response is incredibly poor.
"This is part of an ongoing attempt to promote a two-tier policing conspiracy theory, which is being spread by foreign, far-right billionaires to attack the way the UK deals with terror."
GB News host Andrew Pierce argued: "But Shabana Mahmood is not a far-right billionaire. She's a proud Muslim."
He fumed: "She is caving to this conspiracy theory rather than calling it out, which is what she should be saying. The two-tier policing conspiracy theory is rubbish.
"What Robert Jenrick is saying is rubbish, and it is also, arguably, in my view, racist to be saying we shouldn't take action."
The new guidelines detail that pre-sentence reports would usually be necessary before sentencing someone from an ethnic, cultural or faith minority.
Similar requirements would apply to other groups, including young adults aged 18 to 25, women and pregnant women.
The Sentencing Council said greater emphasis has been placed on the "critical role" of these reports.
They provide courts with comprehensive information about the offender and the circumstances of the crime.
Lord Justice William Davis, chairman of the Sentencing Council, defended the updated guidance.
He said the changes aim to ensure courts have the "most comprehensive information available" to hand out appropriate sentences.
Find Out More...