Judges clash with Straw over Bill

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Council of Circuit Judges has clashed with Justice Secretary Jack Straw over the Coroners and Justice Bill which is said to contain "unnecessary, costly and unwelcome" sentencing guidelines.

The judges reckoned the Bill, currently going through Parliament, would mean that the discretion of the sentencing judge would be severely limited by "mandatory guidelines which the court must follow or apply in reaching the sentencing decision." The council added: "We do not consider these sentencing proposals to have any benefit. The proposals are not sought by the judiciary or any other criminal justice group. They are unnecessary, costly and unwelcome."

Keith Cutler of the Council of Circuit Judges commented: "Sentencing is an art, not a science. We believe the current system is working and that there is no need for any new structure."

Straw said: "I share the objections of the Council of Circuit Judges to what they describe as mandatory guidelines. But this is not what is contained within the Bill."