Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the independent review of sentencing policy will include sentencing for peaceful protest.

The right to protest peacefully is a fundamental part of our democracy. There is a long tradition in this country of people being able to come together and express their views. This Government remains firmly committed to protecting and preserving this right.

The independent Sentencing Review has a broad remit and will evaluate the sentencing framework as a whole to ensure it is up to date and consistent. The Review will examine options following three core principles: punishing offenders and protecting the public, ensuring sentences encourage prisoners to turn away from crime, and expanding the range of tough punishments outside of prison.

It will be up to the Chair to decide his areas of focus, but the terms of reference ask it to include: the use and impact of short custodial sentences; community alternatives to prison; use of fines; the role of incentives in sentence management; the framework around longer custodial sentences; approach for specific cohorts including women and prolific offenders; and sentencing for offences primarily committed against women and girls.