Category: Criminal Justice

The comments made by David Lammy, the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, on 15 March 2021.

The tragic death of Sarah Everard has instigated a national demand for action to tackle violence against women.

This is no time to be rushing through poorly thought-out measures to impose disproportionate controls on free expression and the right to protest.

Now is the time to unite the country and put in place on long overdue protections for women against unacceptable violence, including action against domestic homicides, rape and street harassment. And we must tackle the misogynistic attitudes that underpin the abuse women face.

Instead, the Conservatives have brought forward a Bill that is seeking to divide the country. It is a mess, which could lead to harsher penalties for damaging a statue than for attacking a woman.

Labour will be voting against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill on this basis. We are calling on the Government to drop its poorly thought-out proposals and instead work with Labour to legislate to tackle violence against women which is forcing so many across the country to live in fear. As well as to deliver the important areas that are long promised, like tougher sentences for attacks on frontline workers and increased sentences for terrorists.

The comments made by David Lammy, the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, on 14 March 2021.

In the 20 schedules, 176 clauses and 296 pages of the Conservatives’ Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, “women” are not mentioned even once.

This is a missed opportunity to tackle violence against women and girls that has become endemic in the UK.

Under the Conservatives, rape convictions have fallen to an all-time low, delays in the Crown Courts are at an all-time high, and justice is not being served for thousands of women and girls.

After a decade of inaction, the Government must now work with Labour to legislate to tackle violence against women.