Robert Jenrick To Announce Tories' Plans of Scrapping Sentencing Council, Radical Changes in UK's Judicial System

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has vowed to abolish the Sentencing Council, labelling it a 'two-tier justice nightmare' in a fiery speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Tuesday.

Jenrick is expected to lay out plans that would strip the Council of its authority to issue sentencing guidelines to courts in Wales and England. 'The Sentencing Council is not fit for purpose. Never again can the British people face the prospect of two-tier justice,' Jenrick said as quoted by several media outlets.

'All too frequently the law is not applied equally. No more. In future, the Justice Secretary, accountable to Parliament, will be responsible for setting sentencing policy,' he added.

Jenrick's statement comes after a heated public debate earlier this year between the government and the Sentencing Council, after the Council proposed guidance recommending judges consider pre-sentencing reports for offenders who belong to certain minority groups.

In response, the Labour government barred all updated guidance and launched a review into the purpose of the Sentencing Council.

Tories' Plans for the Sentencing Council

In September, the UK government announced plans to revise the law, preventing the Sentencing Council from issuing new rules to courts in England and Wales without the approval of the Justice Secretary.

The Sentencing Bill, which is currently under discussion in Parliament, would provide veto powers to the Justice Secretary for any new sentencing rules.

Former Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that the sentencing guidelines 'must be set by parliamentarians, who answer to the people'.

But the Conservatives aim to go further, not just curbing the Council's powers but ultimately eradicating it.

Implementing Drastic Judicial Changes

Jenrick, a former Minister of State for Immigration, also announced plans to dismiss any judge who engages in 'political activism'.

He intends to assign 'new powers to investigate inappropriate conduct, and remove any judge who engages in political activism' to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office.

Furthermore, Jenrick wants to abolish the Judicial Appointments Commission and transfer the authority to appoint judges to the Justice Secretary of the day. Critics say this move threatens the independence of the judiciary.

'While we may have some of the best lawyers, barristers and judges in the world, it is now beyond any doubt that a deep rot has infected parts of our judiciary,' Jenrick said according to Sky News.

'This will come as little surprise to the public, who have been subjected to absurd immigration judgments that work against their interests and risk their safety. We will only restore confidence in the independence of the judiciary through wholesale changes to the way it operates.'

The Opposition's Opinion

Labour has slammed Jenrick's proposals. In a statement, a Labour spokesperson shared: 'This is yet more rank hypocrisy from a Conservative Party that wrecked our justice system and left Labour to pick up the pieces.'

The spokesperson also mentioned that the prisons are currently 'full to the brim' and courtrooms are overwhelmed due to years of Tory neglect. It allegedly affected the public's confidence in the justice system.

'The Conservatives backed the proposed changes to pre-sentencing reports when they were announced and did nothing to stop them when they were in government. Labour took action the moment we uncovered their mistake.'

Jenrick's moves were dismissed as 'another cynical gimmick' to boost his political career.