Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 18 June 2o25.

A sexual predator who posed as a 12-year-old to obtain explicit photos from children has sentence increased following the Solicitor General’s intervention.

Joshua Wilson (26) from Bedworth, Warwickshire, had his sentence increased by one year and ten months after the case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The Court heard that between May and September 2023, Wilson contacted two children on social media. He requested nude images and sent sexually explicit images of himself to one of them.

In October 2024, following his arrest and whilst on bail, Wilson contacted a nine-year-old girl on social media.

Posing as a 12-year-old boy, Wilson video called her and requested she show her genitals to him.

Wilson was also found to be in possession of numerous indecent images of children and had uploaded some onto an instant messaging service.

The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

Joshua Wilson’s crimes were sickening.  He sought to befriend and sexually exploit vulnerable children.

I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase his sentence following my intervention.

On 7 March 2025, Wilson was sentenced to four years imprisonment for three counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, one count of distributing indecent photographs of children, four counts of sexual communication with a child, one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act, and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

On 17 June 2025, Wilson’s sentence was increased to five years and 10 months after it was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 18 June 2025.

The European Convention of Human Rights “must evolve” to restore public confidence in the rule of law, the Lord Chancellor told European ambassadors in a speech today.

Speaking to the Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg, the Lord Chancellor said that while the UK is resolutely committed to the ECHR, the trust of the public is beginning to erode as the application of rights “feels out of step with common sense.”

Making her argument for reform, she said that “the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law – once widely assumed – now face distortion, doubt, even hostility.”

Speaking at the meeting, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, said:

Across Europe, public confidence in the rule of law is fraying.

There is a growing perception – sometimes mistaken, sometimes grounded in reality – that human rights are no longer a shield for the vulnerable, but a tool for criminals to avoid responsibility. That the law too often protects those who break the rules, rather than those who follow them.

This tension is not new. The Convention was written to protect individuals from the arbitrary power of the state. But in today’s world, the threats to justice and liberty are more complex. They can come from technology, transnational crime, uncontrolled migration, or legal systems that drift away from public consent.

This comes as the Government commits to legislation to clarify the law around Article 8, the right to private and family life, which many foreign offenders have exploited in order to avoid deportation. In her speech, the Lord Chancellor said that “if a foreign national commits a serious crime, they should expect to be removed from the country.”

While this Government has ramped up removals of foreign national offenders with more than 4,400 removed since the election – up 14% compared to the same period 12 months ago – further action is being taken forward to increase removals even further.

The Lord Chancellor went on to highlight the changes being made in the UK to tackle immigration – including tightening the application of Article 8 to give courts the clarity they need so our immigration rules are no longer abused. This is particularly important as the Government introduces sentencing reforms to tackle a prison system at breaking point.

The Lord Chancellor set out that:

In the UK, we are restoring the balance we pledged at the birth of our Convention: liberty with responsibility, individual rights with the public interest. There must be consequences for breaking the rules.

Which is why we are clarifying how Convention rights – particularly Article 8 – operate in relation to immigration rules. The right to family life is fundamental. But it has too often been used in ways that frustrate deportation, even where there are serious concerns about credibility, fairness, and risk to the public.

We’re bringing clarity back to the distinction between what the law protects and what policy permits. Prisoners claiming a right to socialise – under Article 8 – is not just a legal stretch. It damages the public perception of human rights altogether.

Legislation brought forward by the Home Office will strengthen the public interest test to make it clear that Parliament needs to be able to control the country’s borders and make decisions over who comes to, and stays in the UK, striking the right balance between individual family rights and the wider public interest.

It will clarify Article 8 rules and set out how they should apply in different immigration routes so that fewer cases are treated as “exceptional”.

She went on to say that:

These are the reforms we are pursuing at home. The question for all of us now is whether the Convention system, as it stands, has the tools to resolve these tensions in a way that keeps the public with us.

As I have said, our Convention has evolved before, through new protocols, new rights, and new interpretations. Always to reflect changing times, while staying true to its purpose.

However, reform of the ECHR must be “a shared political endeavour among us as member States”, the Lord Chancellor told the Council of Europe.

The Lord Chancellor concluded by saying:

The European Convention on Human Rights is one of the great achievements of post-war politics. It has endured because it has evolved. Now, it must do so again.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 9 June 2025.

Government to consult on regulation of enforcement sector as well as increase protections for those facing debt enforcement action and raise fees recoverable by bailiff firms.

• Three-pronged package of measures to deliver a fairer system of debt enforcement
• Plans to improve independent regulation of the enforcement industry to boost oversight
• Number of doorstep visits by bailiffs to be reduced to limit unfair build-up of fees

New reforms to the enforcement sector will protect the financially vulnerable and give those facing debt greater opportunity to settle at the earliest and cheapest stage possible.

Setting out plans to overhaul to the way sector operates, the Government today (Monday 9 June) outlined it will:

• Consult on plans for greater regulation of bailiff firms, including oversight from an independent body accountable to Parliament.
• Encourage earlier and cheaper settlement of debt, reducing the number of “doorstep visits” and avoiding the accumulation of enforcement fees.
• Increase fees bailiff firms can collect for the first time since 2014 to ensure a sustainable sector while better supporting people in debt. The threshold which bailiff firms can charge an additional fee will also be raised to reduce the number of people in debt paying this additional fee.

Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services Minister Sackman, said:

Debt recovery must be fair to everyone. If you’re an organisation or individual who is owed money you should be able to get it back. And if you fall into debt you should be treated fairly and supported to get back on your feet.

That is why we are reforming the enforcement sector – to safeguard debtors and creditors alike whilst building a more sustainable system.

The consultation launched today also seeks views on the role an independent statutory regulator should play in enforcement. This includes how the regulator could work with other regulatory bodies, and how it would be held to account by the Government.

While most bailiff firms have already signed up to the Enforcement Conduct Board’s voluntary accreditation scheme, the government proposals would see all bailiff firms regulated to the same standards and overseen by the same independent body, ensuring greater protections for vulnerable people.

To reduce the number of doorstep visits and help prevent people from falling into more debt through accrued enforcement fees, reforms will increase the minimum notice period which must be given before enforcement officers can visit those in debt to 14 days (from seven) – and to 28 days if requested by a debt advisor.

This will give people more time to access debt advice, and/or set up a payment agreement.

To support a fair, viable, and effective enforcement system, the fees bailiff firms can collect from those facing action will be uplifted by 5%. This is the first fee increase since 2014 and reflects the impact of rising costs on bailiff firms. To protect the interests of financially vulnerable individual, it will be made clear that creditors should not share the profits made from the use of bailiff firms and the charging of fees.

Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE said:

These reforms will help make sure those facing the enforcement system are properly protected and supported in dealing with their debts – and we won’t just stop here.

We will shortly be consulting on improvements to council tax administration including the way council tax is collected and enforced, so people can have their say in delivering a fairer system to support both vulnerable households and local councils.

Background information

• The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) was established in 2022, tasked with providing voluntary, independent oversight of the sector to ensure fair treatment for every party facing enforcement action
• The Government is consulting on how to ensure that there is independent oversight of firms that employ enforcement agents and High Court Enforcement Officers to enforce debts using the Taking Control of Goods procedure in England and Wales. The consultation will run for six weeks. Responses will inform legislation to be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time allows
• As set out in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Regulation Action Plan, when regulation is designed well it can be an essential tool to promote growth and investment and protect the public. We will introduce independent statutory regulation of the sector in line with the objectives in the Action Plan, and our work across Government to cut the administrative costs of regulation by 25% by the end of parliament
• The threshold above which bailiff firms can charge an additional percentage fee will be raised by 24%. Currently, an additional one-off fee of 7.5% of any debt over a set threshold can be recovered by bailiff firms if the debt reaches the enforcement (visit) stage. The 24% rise to this threshold will rebalance these fees in line with inflation and reduce the number of people in debt paying the additional fee
• The reforms to the regulations about when fees can be recovered and uplifts to the fees and thresholds will be implemented when parliamentary time allows

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 June 2025.

Frontline prison officers working in the highest risk areas of the prison estate will be issued protective body armour under swift Government action to improve their safety, the Lord Chancellor announced today (Tuesday 3 June).

• Lord Chancellor takes decisive action to protect frontline officers
• Decision follows snap review after attack on prison staff at HMP Frankland
• Independent review of separation centres ongoing

Following the horrific attack on three officers at HMP Frankland on 12 April, the Prison Service commissioned a snap review into whether protective body armour – also known as stab-proof vests – should be rolled out to staff.

The Lord Chancellor has now confirmed new protective vests will be made mandatory for prison officers working in Close Supervision Centres and Separation Centres which hold the most dangerous offenders in the estate.

Officers working with prisoners held in segregation units within the high-security estate will also benefit from the rollout.

Speaking in the House of Commons today, the Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood said:

I know this House shares my anger at recent attacks against prison officers.

After the awful events at HMP Frankland, I commissioned a review of the use of protective body armour.

Today, I can announce I will mandate its use in Close Supervision Centres, Separation Centres, and Segregation Units in the High Security Estate.

When Jonathan Hall’s independent review into the Frankland attack reports, I will take any further steps necessary to protect our brave staff.

Today’s announcement follows extensive engagement with frontline staff, trade unions and uniformed services like the police who already use protective body armour.

As part of this engagement, some staff raised concerns on armour being rolled out more widely in prisons, in particular that it could be too heavy and restrictive for everyday use. It was also noted that officers already have equipment available to them to help reduce the risk of assaults including Body Worn Video Cameras, batons, PAVA spray and handcuffs.

The review concluded that more evidence is needed before rolling out vests to all prison officers. The Lord Chancellor will now take this forward and will not hesitate to go further if needed to keep staff safe.

The Lord Chancellor confirmed last month Jonathan Hall KC will chair the independent review into the events at HMP Frankland and whether separation centres are fit for purpose.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 June 2025.

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has been appointed as interim chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to provide hands on governance and strong leadership.

• Dame Vera Baird DBE KC appointed as interim chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
• Urgent review ordered to restore public confidence in the organisation
• Justice for the wrongfully convicted vital to Government’s Plan for Change

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has today (3 June) been appointed as the interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

Her appointment marks the Lord Chancellors determination to ensure the CCRC is effectively delivering its vital function investigating potential miscarriages of justice and bringing justice to those who have been wrongly convicted.

The Chair of the CCRC is responsible for leading the board, setting the vision and core purpose of the organisation,  maintaining public trust and confidence by being a visible, effective advocate and ambassador, and supporting their leadership. Dame Vera will provide hands on governance and strong leadership in the role.

The Lord Chancellor has also tasked Dame Vera with undertaking an urgent review into the running of the CCRC, ensuring lessons have been learned from the handling of previous cases and that the public can have confidence in the organisation again.

Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, said:

Miscarriages of justice have a devastating and life-long impact.

The organisation tasked with uncovering them must earn back the public’s trust in the justice system, vital to our Plan for Change.

Dame Vera will bring strong leadership to the Criminal Cases Review Commission – I want her review to restore its role uncovering and rectifying historical injustices.

Dame Vera has been tasked with reviewing the governance and leadership within the CCRC, and its capability in investigating potential miscarriages of justice. The impact of the organisation’s internal culture will be evaluated, as well as the value for money it delivers for the taxpayer.

Dame Vera, as a former defender and Victims Commissioner, understands the criminal justice system from all sides and is a long-standing advocate for fairness and justice.

Dame Vera Baird said:

When the justice system makes mistakes, as all human institutions do, from time to time,  the role of the CCRC is crucial in uncovering them – providing the only lifeline available for the wrongfully convicted.

It is vital the public can have confidence in an organisation whose constitutional importance is so central to a fair and just system.

I look forward to working alongside the many hardworking and dedicated members of staff to restore that confidence, ensuring recommendations stemming from multiple reviews over the last decade are being effectively implemented, as well as identifying further areas for improvement.

Dame Vera’s term will run from June 2025 to December 2026 ahead of a permanent appointment being made. In addition to delivering the review, the interim Chair is responsible for setting the direction of the CCRC and communicating progress with the Government – particularly in light of Chris Henley KC’s 2024 report which made major recommendations following the handling of Andrew Malkinson’s case.

The review will include but not be limited to:

• Effectiveness: The extent to which the organisation is operating effectively to deliver the CCRC’s statutory responsibilities, including the understanding and application of the ‘real possibility’ test, and the CCRC’s processes for oversight and quality control of casework.
• Performance: To evaluate the CCRC’s performance, assess whether the appropriate Key Performance Indicators and targets are in place, and ensure effective strategies and action plans are in place and implemented to improve performance. Additionally, an assessment of the robustness of the management information provided by the CCRC to its departmental sponsor, ensuring it enables effective oversight and assurance on behalf of the Principal Accounting Officer and Ministers.
• Governance: To evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation’s governance, including its structure and operational efficiency, and the effectiveness of the structural relationship between the Commissioners, the Body Corporate, the Board, and the Executive.
• Culture: To review the culture of the organisation, in particular in its approach to and interactions with applicants, potential applicants and their representatives.
• Capability: An evaluation of the senior leadership team should also be conducted to identify areas where further support or strengthening is needed, in order restore public confidence.
• Funding: To assess whether the CCRC provides value for money within its current funding levels and ensure that the funds are used effectively to achieve high-quality outcomes. To rigorously evaluate whether the CCRC delivers value for money within its existing funding envelope, ensuring that it is utilised efficiently to achieve high-quality outcomes. This assessment will focus on maximising current resources.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 June 2025.

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has been appointed as the Interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

His Majesty the King, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, has approved the appointment of Dame Vera Baird DBE KC as the Interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). The appointment will commence on 9 June 2025 and will end on 8 December 2026. The CCRC Chair role has been vacant since Helen Pitcher’s resignation on 14 January 2025.

The Lord Chancellor has requested that Dame Vera carry out a thorough review of the operation of the CCRC, to increase public confidence in the organisation and the important work it undertakes investigating potential miscarriages of justice.

In order to bring stability to the organisation at this crucial time it was important to ensure that the post holder was an exceptional individual with sound knowledge and experience of examining the criminal justice system and a strong track record of leadership.

The CCRC

The CCRC was established by the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 and commenced operation in 1997. The CCRC considers – on application – cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where a miscarriage of justice is alleged or suspected. The CCRC decides if there is any new evidence or new argument which raises a real possibility that an appeal court would quash a conviction or reduce a sentence.

The appointment of the CCRC Chair is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and this appointment complies with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Appointments of CCRC Commissioners are made by His Majesty the King on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, who receives advice from the Lord Chancellor.

Biography

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC’s biography is as follows:

• Member of the Women’s Justice Board
• Visiting Professor in Practice at the Mannheim Centre, London School of Economics
• Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College Oxford
• Hon Professor of Law at Exeter and Newcastle Universities
• Hon Doctorates at Northumbria and Loughborough Universities
• Former Victims Commissioner for England and Wales (2019-22)
• DBE for Services to Women and Equalities 2017
• Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria (2012-19)
• Chair of Association of Police and Crime Commissioners 2016
• Association of PCCs’ National lead for Supporting Victims (2012-19)
• Solicitor General for England and Wales (2007-2010)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice (2006-7)
• Member of Parliament for Redcar 2001-2010
• Former Practising Criminal Barrister and QC
• Author of many articles, chapters & reports, most recently The Baird Review into Greater Manchester Police.
• Patron of Respect, Operation Encompass and Board Member of Revolving Doors

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has declared the following political activity on behalf of the Labour Party: public speaking, Chair of the Women’s Branch Hornsey and Friern Barnet Constituency (HFBC), member of the HFBC Fabian Society, member of the Labour Women’s Network and campaigning in elections.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 23 May 2025.

The Lord Chancellor has today published the full Terms of Reference for the public inquiry into the devastating Nottingham attacks in June 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has today published the full Terms of Reference for the public inquiry into the devastating Nottingham attacks in June 2023.

Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, were tragically killed and Wayne Birkett, Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski were seriously injured by Valdo Calocane in brutal assaults carried out in the city.

The inquiry will look at a broad range of areas in connection with the attacks, including:

• The management of Valdo Calocane’s risk to others in the lead up to the attacks;
• A detailed examination of events on the day of the attacks – including the response of the emergency services; and
• A timeline of incidents of unauthorised accessing of information by public servants.

The Lord Chancellor has consulted on the Terms of Reference with the Inquiry Chair, Her Honour Deborah Taylor, who in turn has engaged with the survivors and bereaved families to ensure their views have been taken into account.

Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said:

The bereaved families and survivors of the Nottingham Attacks, who have suffered so much, deserve to know how these horrific incidents were able to happen.

I am pleased this Inquiry is now underway and I know Her Honour Deborah Taylor will undertake a fearless and thorough examination of the facts to prevent tragedies like this happening again.

The statutory inquiry will undertake a thorough, independent assessment of the events that culminated in these brutal attacks and provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents.

It will have the power to examine all the agencies involved, including the Nottinghamshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service; compel witnesses, and establish the facts. The Prime Minister has committed that the inquiry should report within two years which the Lord Chancellor has reiterated today.

Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), Alex Davies-Jones, said:

My thoughts remain with the bereaved families and survivors of this terrible incident, who in the face of such tragedy, have consistently called for answers. .

It is an important step for the bereaved families and survivors that this Inquiry is now underway, and I know the Inquiry Chair will ensure it reports without undue delay.

The Nottingham Inquiry website is now the main source of information about the Inquiry. An Inquiry Questionnaire for members of the public to contribute, FAQs about the Inquiry, further questions the Inquiry will address and an Opening Statement video from the Chair can all be found on the website.

Further information

• With the terms of reference now published, the inquiry is underway in earnest.
• The full terms of reference are available on gov.uk and will be available on the Inquiry’s website https://nottingham.independent-inquiry.uk/
• The Inquiry is publishing its website on 22 May which together with the terms of reference will include contact details and a video message from the Chair.
• The Inquiry has been tasked with:
• Producing and reviewing a detailed timeline of Valdo Calocane’s interactions with public services and agencies.
• Producing and reviewing a timeline of the sequence and timing of events on 13 June 2023 prior to his arrest.
• Producing a timeline of the unauthorised access of case files and evidence following Valdo Calocane’s arrest.
• Reviewing the understanding, assessment and management of the risk of Valdo Calocane to others and his risk of offending between 2019 and 13 June 2023.
• Reviewing the effectiveness of national and local multi-agency working and information sharing.
• Reviewing the adequacy and appropriateness of care and monitoring of Valdo Calocane including actions, policies and procedures, when Valdo Calocane was in police custody after arrest between 13 and17 June 2023.
• Considering the Crown Prosecution Service’s handling of the case between 13 June 2023 and the commencement of the Sentencing hearing on 23 January 2024.
• Providing recommendations to ensure lessons are learned and prevent similar attacks in the future.
• There have been nine separate reviews into various elements of the Nottingham attacks including: Valdo Calocane’s healthcare and the healthcare institution; actions by Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire Police; and decisions of the CPS.  IOPC investigations into the actions of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire police are ongoing.
• The Law Commission is undertaking a review into homicide law and will consider the partial defence of diminished responsibility.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 22 May 2025.

Landmark reforms that will end the prison crisis have been announced by the Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood.

Landmark reforms that will end the prison crisis the government inherited, which threatens the complete breakdown of law and order on Britain’s streets, have been announced by the Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood.

The sweeping review, published today by former Justice Secretary David Gauke, recommends comprehensively overhaul sentencing – ensuring jails never run out of space again and dangerous offenders can be kept off the streets. The majority of the recommendations have been accepted today in principle – with a Sentencing Bill due in the coming months.

The reforms will put public protection and cutting crime at the heart of the justice system and ensure the public is never put at risk again from the threat of prisons running out of space and police unable to make arrests.

In the past 14 years just 500 extra places were added to the prison estate, despite the prison population nearly doubling over the last 30 years. To put an end to this crisis, the government confirmed plans last week to invest £4.7 billion more in prison building, putting the government on track to open 14,000 places by 2031. It will be the largest prison expansion since the Victorian era, and 2,400 places have already been opened since July 2024.

Despite this unprecedented construction, the prison population is soaring – with the latest projections showing the country’s jails will be bust within months and 9,500 places short by early 2028 without further action. The government is taking the decisive action needed so we can protect the public and never allow the country to face the breakdown of our justice system again.

Making the case before Parliament today, the Lord Chancellor said:

Our prisons are, once again, running out of space and it is vital that the implications are understood. If our prisons collapse, courts are forced to suspend trials, the police must halt their arrests. Crime goes unpunished, criminals run amok and chaos reigns. We face the breakdown of law and order in this country.

The prison population is now rising by 3,000 each year and we are heading back towards zero capacity. It now falls to this Government to end this cycle of crisis. That starts by building prisons….This investment is necessary but not sufficient. We cannot build our way out of this crisis. Despite building as quickly as we can, demand for places will outstrip supply by 9,500 in early 2028.

Reforms accepted today will once and for all put prisons on a sustainable footing while protecting the public from dangerous criminals.

One key change will be a new “earned progression model” that will see prisoners earn their way to release through good behaviour or face longer in jail. There will be no automatic release for prisoners who misbehave.

The changes mean:

• A prisoner’s release date will now be more dependent on their behaviour. We want to reduce violence in prison and make sure more prisoners engage with activities like education and employment that will reduce crime.
• All offenders on standard determinate sentences will spend at least one-third of their sentence behind bars and have to earn their release at this point or face longer behind bars for bad behaviour.
• While we expect most offenders on these sentences to be released between 33 and 50 per cent – there is no upper limit and the very worst behaved offenders could spend longer in prison.
• Those serving standard determinate sentences for more serious offences will serve at least half in prison.

While David Gauke has suggested maximums of 50 and 67 percent in custody, respectively, for these sentences, the government has decided not to impose these.

In addition, the government has rejected the review’s recommendation to cut the minimum prison term for extended determinate sentences to 50%. The serious violent and sexual offenders serving these sentences will have to serve at least two-thirds of their sentence and their release will continue to be down to the Parole Board.

To enforce this approach, the government will introduce a tougher adjudication regime so that bad behaviour in prisons is properly punished.

When released, offenders will enter a new period of “intensive supervision” which will see tens of thousands more offenders tagged and many more placed under home detention.

To support the Probation Service, the government will significantly increase its funding – by around 45% by the final year of the spending review period. This means the annual budget of around £1.6 billion today will rise by up to £700m by 2028/29.

Other major changes include:

• Earlier deportation of foreign national offenders who are blocking up jails – removing foreign prisoners who have already served 30% of their custodial term, down from 50%. The Government will also work up plans to remove foreign prisoners serving less than three years as soon as possible after their sentencing. This builds on the government’s work to surge removals of foreign national offenders, with 4,436 foreign national offenders removed since July 2024 – a 14% increase compared to the same period 12 months prior.
• A presumption against custodial sentences of less than a year – in favour of tough community sentences that better punish offenders and stop them reoffending. Currently, almost 60 percent of those receiving a prison sentence of 12 months or less reoffended within a year. Judges will still retain the power to hand down sentences of 12 months or less to offenders who have breached a court order, including restraining orders and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, and in exceptional circumstances.

The government will expand tough punishments outside jail to force offenders to pay back the victims and communities they have harmed. This includes:

• Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
• Exploring wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
• More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.

The Justice Secretary will also go further than the Review’s recommendations:

• Developing new ways in which offenders can undertake tough, unpaid work, including doing a job for a private sector company with payment going to support victims. This could also include working closely with councils to find the jobs that need doing, including street cleaning and filling in potholes, and assigning an unpaid work team to complete them.
• Expanding the use of ‘medicines which manage problematic sexual arousal’, often referred to as chemical suppressants, on sex offenders following a pilot in south-west England to two additional regions, as part of a nationwide rollout, while exploring making this mandatory.

The Lord Chancellor added:

When discussing sentencing, it is too easy to focus on how we punish offenders when we should talk more about victims. Everything I am announcing today, is in pursuit of a justice system that serves victims.

If our prisons collapse, it is victims who pay the price and by cutting reoffending, we will have fewer victims in future.

As part of the government’s safer streets mission and to make sure victims see justice done, the Lord Chancellor has also accepted recommendations to:

• Increase tagging for VAWG perpetrators – enabling the closer monitoring of cowardly abusers to reassure victims, remove the onus from them to prove breaches had occurred.
• Identify perpetrators of domestic abuse at sentencing – requiring judges to flag domestic abuse at sentencing so prisons, probation and police can better identify and manage abusers.
• Expand Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts – bolstering support for victims and ensuring their abusers are properly supervised and rehabilitated.
• Bolster transparency for victims at sentencing – including the provision of free copies of judges’ sentencing remarks for victims of rape and other sexual offences, and ensuring they receive the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system.

Currently offenders can be given exclusion zones, preventing offenders from entering areas their victims might be. Going beyond the Review’s recommendations, the government will explore changes so some offenders are instead locked into specific ‘restriction zones’ monitored by GPS tags so victims can feel safe everywhere else.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 22 May 2025.

Following the attacks on 3 prison officers in the separation centre at HMP Frankland on 12 April, the Lord Chancellor announced on 15 May that Jonathan Hall KC will lead the HMP Frankland Independent Review.

The terms of the independent review are as follows:

• Consider whether the facts of the incident, as established by HMPPS’ internal review reveal the need for any changes to how convicted terrorists are placed onto Separation Centres.
• Consider whether the policies, operating procedures, legal framework, and relationships with other agencies that underpin Separation Centres are fit for purpose, including whether an appropriate balance is being struck between security and long-term offender management.
• Provide findings and recommendations on the basis of the above that can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of any such incident occurring in the future.

Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said:

I will do whatever it takes to protect our brave prison officers. I have asked for the review to report back promptly, and to leave no stone unturned so we can prevent such an incident ever happening again.

Jonathan Hall KC

Jonathan Hall KC is the current Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation and Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation. Mr Hall is an experienced barrister in independent practice and King’s Counsel since 2014. He has been involved in complex and high-profile cases involving fraud, law enforcement, and national security.

While Mr Hall will be given access to the information he needs to deliver against the terms of reference, the review will be independent of HMPPS. The report on the Review, including any recommendations, will be submitted to the Lord Chancellor and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 21 May 2025.

The Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care have approved the reappointment of Dr Margaret Flynn as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum (NMCF) for 3 years from 7 March 2025.

The NMCF was established by the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care in 2015, in response to the 2014 House of Lords Select Committee post-legislative scrutiny report of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

The NMCF aims to raise awareness of the MCA and improve its implementation by joining up stakeholders from a wide range of sectors where the MCA applies, such as health and social care, banking, legal and third sector organisations.

The Chair of the NMCF is appointed by the Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care. Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Dr Margaret Flynn biography

Since 2019, Dr Flynn has been a Trustee of Anheddau Cyf, a not-for-profit charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism and mental health challenges across North Wales. She has been a Director of Flynn and Eley Associates Ltd since 2009 and has held various editorial roles for the Journal of Adult Protection since 1999.

Dr Flynn has chaired and written several reviews concerning people with compromised mental capacity, in particular a review into Winterbourne View Hospital during 2011. In 2013, she was commissioned by the First Minister of Wales to undertake a review of the neglect of older people living in care homes investigated as Operation Jasmine. More recently, Dr Flynn chaired Wales’ inaugural National Independent Safeguarding Board and wrote the review concerning Cawston Park Hospital. She is currently coordinating research activities for TIDE (together in dementia everyday) and is supporting its contributions to the SPIN Dementia Network (Sustainable Prevention, Innovation and involvement).