Proposed law on mandatory offender attendance at sentencing

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【Summary】Ministers have been warned that plans to give judges the power to order offenders to attend sentencing hearings could prove harder to implement in practice. Some victims and campaigners support the change, but others warn it could cause more distress for grieving families. The reforms will give custody officers the power to use "reasonable force" to ensure offenders appear in court, and those who continue to refuse could face an additional two years in jail.

FutureCar Staff Aug 30, 2023 10:19 AM PT

Proposed law on mandatory offender attendance at sentencing

Ministers have been warned that implementing plans to give judges the power to order offenders to attend sentencing hearings may be challenging. While some victims and campaigners support the idea, others believe it could cause more distress for grieving families. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Cheryl Korbel, the mother of shooting victim Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who has been campaigning for a change in the law after the shooter refused to appear in court. The promised reforms will allow custody officers to use "reasonable force" to ensure offenders appear in court, and those who continue to refuse could face an additional two years in jail.

However, the father of a murdered police officer cautioned against a hasty response, emphasizing the difficulties of forcing prisoners into courtrooms and the potential for disruptive behavior. The general secretary of the Prison Officers Association argued that legislation is unnecessary as the courts already have the power to order prisoners to be produced in court. Labour accused the Conservatives of dragging their feet on the issue and called for judges to have the power to force offenders to face justice in court. The Ministry of Justice stated that judges will have discretion in deciding whether an offender should attend court.

No specific timeline has been given for the legislation, but it is expected to be introduced in the autumn session of Parliament. Labour's support for the proposal means that the reforms could be passed relatively quickly. However, there is still uncertainty regarding when the government will take action.