Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to establish a multi-year recruitment and retention strategy for the magistracy.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
In light of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts and the Sentencing Review, Ministers are considering the implications for the magistracy, including how best to ensure sufficient capacity in magistrates’ courts to meet both current and future demand and how we can best give deserved recognition to the long term service that many of our existing magistrates provide.
We will set out further details of our approach following the publication of the Government response to the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Sentencing Council's publication entitled Comprehensive new guidance on imposing community and custodial sentences, published on 5 March 2025, if she will provide examples that would constitute a cultural minority.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
The Sentencing Council has issued new guidance which the last Government was consulted on between November 2023 and February 2024, and then publicly welcomed.
The Lord Chancellor has been clear that these guidelines do not represent the views of this Government, and she has asked the Council to reconsider them.
The Lord Chancellor and the Chairman of the Sentencing Council have since had a constructive discussion. It was agreed that the Lord Chancellor will set out her position more fully in writing, which the Sentencing Council will then consider before the guideline is due to come into effect.