Two-Tier Justice Scandal Continues as Lammy Report Revealed to Be Behind Row
The row over “two-tier” justice rules isn’t going away. Sentencing guidance requiring pre-sentence reports for ethnic minorities is set to take effect on April 1, and Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has vowed to challenge it in court if Labour refuses to intervene. Prompting Justice Secretary Mahmood to write to the Sentencing Council urging them to reconsider, warning: “If necessary, I will legislate”…
Both sides are now locked in a blame game. Mahmood is now pointing the finger at former Tory Sentencing Minister Gareth Bacon, claiming he backed the plans in a 2024 consultation. Meanwhile, the Sentencing Council claims the guidance is based on a 2017 report by David Lammy. No surprise there from the human rights lawyer…
Lammy’s report argued that sentencing decisions require greater scrutiny and that judges need more context on offenders’ backgrounds, recommending pre-sentence reports for minorities so judges can consider “the gap between the difference in backgrounds, both in social class and ethnicity”. Labour have just 25 days to get a grip on this one…
