Tag: Ministry of Justice

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

Thousands of victims across England and Wales stand to benefit as the Government launches a major consultation on criminal legal aid today.

The eight-week consultation will aim to deliver more efficient justice for victims and stabilise the criminal legal aid system by investing millions more in criminal legal aid.

The sector will benefit from up to £92 million a year in additional funding for criminal legal aid solicitors working in police stations, courts, and prisons. This funding aims to improve access to justice for victims and addresses the crisis inherited in the legal aid system.

This major investment forms a core part of the Government’s Plan for Change – recognising the vital work of criminal legal aid lawyers, driving reform, and helping to keep our streets safe.

Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC, said:

These proposals mark a crucial step in rebuilding a legal aid sector that has been neglected for too long.

Access to justice is a cornerstone of our legal system, and this investment will ensure that the wheels of justice continue to move.

As part of our Plan for Change, we’re putting legal aid on a sustainable footing now and for the future.

These proposals lay the groundwork for long-term reform of the criminal legal aid system, making it easier for solicitors to take on legal aid cases while ensuring that everyone can access help, wherever they live.

They build on our earlier £24 million investment in solicitors working in police stations and Youth Courts, strengthening frontline legal support where it’s most needed.

This is part of our wider mission to support victims and deliver faster justice. Alongside this investment the Lord Chancellor is funding a record 110,000 court sitting days this financial year to tackle the outstanding backlog in the Crown Court.  An independent review of criminal courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, is also exploring bold reforms that could cut delays and put victims first.

We continue to work closely with legal professions, including the Criminal Bar Association and Bar Council, to improve the system as a whole.

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

New guidance sets out how workers can best support survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.

• New guidance to strengthen consistency of emotional and practical support for victims
• First ever guidance on Independent Stalking Advocates to be published next year
• Forms part of the government’s Plan for Change to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade

Consistency of support for victims of sexual and domestic abuse is set to be bolstered through new guidance published today (Friday 9 May).

New guidance on Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and updated guidance for Independent Sexual Violence Advisers will set out how these vital workers can best support brave survivors of physical and sexual abuse.

The guidance will cover issues such as how to best help victims navigate the criminal justice system, or how to signpost survivors to support services in the community. It will also look at how advisers can better support the needs of the most vulnerable, including children, through the use of age-appropriate materials.

In addition, the government will publish the first ever guidance for Independent Stalking Advocates next year. The first of its kind, the guidance will be developed by experts in this area, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

This work forms part of the government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade and to create safer streets through its Plan for Change.

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

Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and Independent Sexual Violence Advisers are vital in supporting victims of domestic and sexual abuse – from helping to navigate the court process to advising on services they can access in their community.

Today’s guidance will help to improve the consistency of that support. This marks another step forwards in halving violence against women and girls as part of our Plan for Change.

Sexual and domestic abuse has devasting consequences for victims. An Independent Domestic Violence Adviser and Independent Sexual Violence Adviser can help to support victims when this happens – from providing one to one emotional support or signposting to community-based services, to providing practical support such as help to access refuge accommodation or advice on the court process.

The Independent Domestic Violence Adviser and Independent Sexual Violence Adviser guidance has been developed in close collaboration with the victim support sector to ensure it accurately reflects how these roles should operate in practice to give victims the support they need.

As set out in the Victims and Prisoners Act, criminal justice bodies and other organisations with public functions relating to victims have a duty to consider the best practice recommendations within the guidance. The intention is to improve the way in which professionals work together to support victims.

Background information

• Section 16 (1) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 provides a duty on the Secretary of State to issue guidance on specified victim support roles.
• The Victim Support (Specified Roles) Regulations 2025 specify victim support roles about which guidance will be published under section 16. The regulations specify Independent Domestic Violence Advisers, Independent Sexual Violence Advisers, and Independent Stalking Advocates.
• A targeted consultation with the victim support sector seeking views on the Independent Domestic Violence Adviser and Independent Sexual Violence Adviser guidance ran January – February 2025.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 May 2025.

On the eve of Victory in Europe day Minister Sackman and Minister Suhak, Deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Kyiv.

On the eve of Victory in Europe day, the UK has pledged greater assistance and expertise to strengthen Ukraine’s justice system to help it forge a bright future as a free and democratic state as part of an agreement signed by Minister Sackman and Minister Suhak, Deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine, in Kyiv.

The long-term agreement, which came as Minister Sackman attended the United for Justice Conference and Ministerial Dialogue Group in Kyiv to set out the international community’s continued support for Ukraine, will mean that the UK will provide its extensive expertise to help strengthen the rule of law.

The Memorandum of Cooperation will build on the already strong judicial co-operation that exists between the two countries – including the development of training programmes to help bolster the role of an independent, transparent and effective judiciary.  It will also share best practice on ensuring vulnerable victims, especially women, are supported throughout the justice system.

The agreement comes after the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited Kyiv in January to launch the 100 Year Partnership with Ukraine. This partnership will harness the innovation, strength and resilience that Ukraine has shown in its defence against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. It will foster long-term security and growth for both countries and shows the UK’s steadfast commitment to support its allies and the people of Ukraine.

Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC, said:

I have heard first-hand testimonies of the devastation and pain caused by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the need to bring those responsible to account.

As our Ukrainian friends fight to secure their independence, their battlefield victories must be bolstered by support to rebuild – including a resilient justice system.

We will share best practice to advance vital justice reforms to help Ukraine strengthen its rule of law, underpin economic prosperity and safeguard its democracy.

The Memorandum of Cooperation will focus on a number of areas.  This includes:

• Developing sustainable modern justice systems – including exchanging expertise on the effective management of courts and the use of online platforms and artificial intelligence.
• Sharing expertise on how to accommodate vulnerable people throughout the justice system including the use of legal aid and appropriate trauma-based support.
• Sharing best practice on how to manage prisons and probation services and effective procedures to inspect these services.
• Supporting the role of an independent, transparent and effective judiciary in Ukraine.
• Developing the availability of dispute resolution in Ukraine and best practice on the use of arbitration and mediation as alternatives to court hearings.
• Building collaboration between the UK and Ukrainian legal services sectors.

Alongside this agreement the United Kingdom continues to fund and support Ukraine. In total, £18 billion has been spent to support the Ukrainian people through the war with £13 billion provided in military assistance and close to £5 billion in humanitarian and non-military aid.

The agreement was signed in the week after Ukrainian troops joined an array of British, Commonwealth and NATO troops to mark VE Day in London. It served as a reminder of the need for continued global support for Ukraine and its people in their fight for freedom against Russia’s war of aggression.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 May 2025.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Professor Solene Rowan and Professor Lisa Webley as Commissioners of the Law Commission of England and Wales.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of:

• Professor Solene Rowan as the Law Commissioner for Commercial & Common Law from 8 September 2025 to 7 September 2030
• Professor Lisa Webley as the Law Commissioner for Property, Family & Trust Law from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2030.

Professor Solène Rowan

Professor Solène Rowan is currently the Chair of Contract Law, the Vice-Dean for Students, Culture & Community, and the Director of the LLB / Master 1 programme at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London. She is also an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University and a Visiting Professor at Paris Panthéon-Assas University.

Solène’s principal areas of expertise are contract law, commercial law, and comparative law, all with a particular focus on remedies. She is an award-winning author of two monographs and articles in leading international legal publications, and a member of the editorial team of Chitty on Contracts. Her work has been widely cited by law reformers and courts domestically and abroad.

Solène was previously a Professor at the University of Oxford, an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Australian National University, and a Fellow and College Lecturer in Law at Queens’ College, Cambridge. She read law as an undergraduate at King’s College London and Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne University and obtained an LLM and a PhD from the University of Cambridge.

Professor Lisa Webley

Since 2018, Professor Webley has been the Chair in Legal Education and Research for the Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham. From 2019 –2023, she served as Head and Dean of Birmingham Law School.

Both did not declare any political activity.

The Law Commission aims to ensure that the law is as fair, modern, simple and as cost-effective as possible. It conducts research and consultations to make systematic recommendations for consideration by Parliament.

Appointments of Commissioners to the Law Commission are made by the Lord Chancellor under the Law Commissions Act 1965.  Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 May 2025.

Top tech experts are meeting the Justice Secretary as part of a Government drive to use AI and technology to transform the justice system and cut crime.

Today around 30 companies including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and Google will explore how revolutionary tech could be used to tackle violence in prison, better monitor offenders in the community and improve risk assessments of offenders.

The meeting comes as new research shows curfew tags, which keep offenders at home and off the streets during certain times, can reduce reoffending by 20 per cent. This demonstrates how even older technology is supporting punishment in the community and cutting crime.

The challenge now is to see how newer technology can contribute to help deliver the Government’s Plan for Change to make streets safer.

Today’s gathering will be chaired by James Timpson, the prison and probation minister, and opened by Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood.

Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, said:

We inherited a justice system in crisis, with prisons close to collapse and staff overburdened and under pressure.

We need bold ideas to address the challenges that we face – supporting our staff, delivering swifter justice for victims, and cutting crime.

Today, we have an analogue justice system in a digital age.

The UK has a world-leading and growing tech sector, and I know our tech firms have a huge role to play in delivering our Plan for Change to make streets safer.

The roundtable marks the first time key players in the UK’s tech ecosystem will meet with justice ministers to discuss some of the toughest challenges our courts, prisons and probation system face.

Discussion will focus on the potential for even more effective tracking of offender movement, using data to aid probation officers to perform better risk assessments and whether digital platforms can help offenders rehabilitate and integrate back into society, cutting reoffending.

It has been organised in partnership with techUK which is the trade association that brings together companies and organisations to promote digital technology.

techUK CEO, Julian David OBE said:

We’re honoured to be hosting this roundtable discussion with the Ministry of Justice – It presents an excellent opportunity for the tech sector to highlight the transformative role that technology is playing in modernising our criminal justice system.

techUK and our members believe that collaboration and open dialogue are essential to fostering innovation and driving meaningful reform – particularly in how offenders are rehabilitated – and that digital tools can be a powerful force in sustaining this positive impact across society.

Other companies attending include:

• Allied Universal: an industry leader technology and service company for three decades
• Cognizant Worldwide Limited: focuses on modernising technology, reimagining processes and transforming experiences
• TPXimpact​: a UK-based company focusing on digital transformation and creating positive change for people, places, and the planet

Microsoft Ltd. UK Public Sector General Manager, Amanda Sleight said:

We’re thrilled to be part of this groundbreaking initiative with the Ministry of Justice.

Microsoft is committed to advancing the ethical use of AI technology to reduce the administrative burden on prison and probation staff, allowing them more time to focus on delivering high-quality frontline services, reducing recidivism and helping integrate offenders back into society.

The aim is for a follow up to this meeting with an event open to the whole of industry to apply to come back and present their groundbreaking ideas and solutions in the coming months.

Earlier this year, the Lord Chancellor set out her vision for the Probation Service, which included a bold new £8 million pledge to introduce new technology to help risk assess offenders and cut back on admin, increasing focus on those offenders who pose the greatest risk to the public.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 May 2025.

Victims will be better protected than ever thanks to new measures across the justice system following the introduction of the Victims and Courts Bill (7 May).

For the first time ever, judges will be able to hand down prison punishments for cowardly criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearing.

The powers of the Victims’ Commissioner will also be strengthened, empowering them to play a greater role in individual cases and requiring them to produce an independent report on compliance with the Victims’ Code.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said:

This Bill will deliver long overdue reforms to ensure victims see justice done and are given the vital support they need as they rebuild their lives.

There is still more work to do as we fix a justice system that was left on the brink of collapse, but this Bill is a step towards rebuilding victims’ confidence through our Plan for Change.

Measures in the Bill to force offenders to attend their sentencing will go further than ever before. In recognition that those facing long sentences or Whole Life Orders may not be deterred solely by additional time behind bars, this government is going further and giving judges the power to impose a range of prison sanctions on top of additional years on their sentence to ensure heinous criminals who refuse to attend can be appropriately punished.

The Bill also extends the eligibility to all cases in the Crown Court, meaning that all offenders who attempt to evade justice could be subject to tough sanctions – such as confinement to their cell and loss of privileges, like extra time in the gym – as well as up to two more years behind bars.

Offenders who have been ordered to attend by a judge but whose disruptive and disrespectful behaviour results in their removal from the courtroom will also be punishable by the same means.

Minister Davies-Jones said:

I would like to thank the remarkable families of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jan Mustafa, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena and countless others who   have campaigned tirelessly for offenders to have to face the reality of their crimes by attending their sentencing.

Justice isn’t optional – we’ll make sure criminals face their victims.

The Bill will also provide greater protection to victims by automatically restricting parental responsibility for vile offenders sentenced for a serious sexual abuse offence against their own child.

Predatory parents will be prevented from actively taking steps in the child’s life, including requesting updates about the child’s schooling or seeking to interfere with their activities, better enabling the family to move forwards with their lives.

London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, said:

For too long, offenders found guilty of some of the most heinous crimes have refused to attend sentencing hearings and face justice, their victims, and their victims’ families.

I have worked closely with Jebina Islam, Farah Naz, and Ayse Hussein in spearheading this campaign and I want to pay tribute to their tireless campaigning, and also thank the family of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who have fought so hard for this. Over the last few years, I have met with Ministers, the Judiciary, and justice partners to help shape these proposals to ensure they meet the needs of victims. I am pleased this Government has listened and acted on our concerns and have included other measures, such as prison sanctions, which I hope will put an end to this cruel injustice.

This Bill will also bring in other important reforms I have long called for, such as measures to remove parental responsibility from convicted child sex offenders, to ensure these victims are better protected, and new powers to strengthen the vital work of the Victims’ Commissioner. These are all welcome changes and I’ll continue to do everything I can to ensure victims’ and survivors’ voices and experiences are at the heart of criminal justice reform.

To ensure the government and other agencies are held to account in delivering for victims, the Bill also bolsters the role of the Victims’ Commissioner. Under the new legislation, the Commissioner will be able to play a greater role in individual cases which raise systemic issues ensuring lessons are learned to benefit other victims or witnesses.

The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:

These important and welcome reforms give the Victims’ Commissioner the statutory powers needed to deliver on the role’s promise: championing victims’ rights, scrutinising compliance with the Victims’ Code, holding agencies to account, and spotlighting the true victim experience to drive meaningful change. This marks a step towards a more accountable system that puts victims first.

Crucially, it introduces much-needed oversight and accountability to how agencies respond to anti-social behaviour – an area where victims have too often felt unheard and unsupported.

Taken together, the Bill delivers on multiple manifesto commitments and the Government’s Plan for Change – giving victims greater confidence in the justice system.

Further information

The Commissioner will also be required to produce an independent report on compliance with the Victims’ Code, holding agencies to account on their statutory requirement to comply with the Code. Providing independent scrutiny from a victim-focused perspective and calling out agencies who are not fulfilling their duty will ensure victims are aware of their rights, improving their experience of the justice system.

Further measures within the Bill include:

• Updating the Victim Contact Scheme and establishing a new Victim Helpline so victims have a clear route to request information about an offender’s release
• Placing a duty on local authorities and social housing providers to co-operate with the Victims’ Commissioner in relation to victims ASB
• Increased flexibility for the Director of Public Prosecutions in appointing Crown Prosecutors
• Lord Chancellor can now prescribe, through Regulations, rates at which private prosecutors may recover their costs from Central Funds
• Increased time limit for the Attorney General to refer a sentence to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it is unduly lenient where a request is made to the Attorney General in the last 14 days of the current 28-day time-limit

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 6 May 2025.

Reports of bullying and harassment are “a wake-up call and an opportunity to change”, Lord Timpson said today (6 May), after a review recommended wholesale change to how HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) deals with complaints.

• New unit to deal with allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination outside of chain-of-command
• Builds on action to strengthen vetting to root out those who fall below the high standards expected
• Tackling unacceptable behaviour better will improve retention rates and staff morale, part of our Plan for Change to reduce reoffending, cut crime and keep our streets safe

The Prisons, Probation, and Reducing Reoffending Minister pledged a ‘seismic shift’ to improve professional standards across the service.

Immediate action will include establishing a new unit to investigate and better respond to allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

It will be independent – taking complaints away from the line management hierarchy to ensure they are dealt with impartially and fairly by a dedicated team of experts.

It comes as more than one in eight staff last year reported being bullied, harassed, or discriminated against – 50 per cent higher than the wider Civil Service.

Today’s announcement follows a comprehensive review by Jennifer Rademaker, a non-executive director for the Ministry of Justice. Commissioned by HMPPS leaders, it examined the HR processes and culture for dealing with professional standards complaints.

In a speech at HMP High Down in Surrey this morning, Lord James Timpson said:

Professional standards matter. They cannot simply be words on paper. They must be reflected in how we treat each other, every day.

And where those standards aren’t met – our staff – and the public – must know that we’ll take swift and decisive action.

HMPPS recognised that something needed to be done. That’s why it commissioned Jennifer to carry out her independent Review in the first place, and I’m pleased we have accepted her recommendations in full.

He contrasted the misogyny and sexual harassment experienced by a young prison officer at work with the bravery of staff responding to help prison officers attacked last month at HMP Frankland.

Lord Timpson said:

They ran towards danger, when others would run away. They are true heroes. And our thoughts are with the injured officers as they continue to recover.

That kind of bravery isn’t rare in the Service. Our probation officers, too, manage risk constantly, working with dangerous offenders to keep the public safe.

These are jobs where heroism happens daily, in environments more stressful, more pressurised, than people could possibly imagine.

The question is, then: how do we make this a Service worthy of the heroes at Frankland? Worthy of every hero in the Service?

Recommendations from the report include:

• The establishment of an independent central unit to handle the reporting of claims of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
• The creation of an Independent Commissioner for HMPPS Professional Standards.
• Improving data collection on complaints by creating one database and regular updates to all staff.

The Government has accepted all the recommendations from the review and will begin implementing them immediately as part of its Plan for Change. It will ensure unacceptable behaviour is tackled quickly and effectively. Improving staff morale, safety and retention rates will ensure prisons and probation can focus more on reducing reoffending and making streets safer.

This will build on significant action already being taken to drive up professionalism across the Service and root out those who fall below the high standards expected. This includes bolstering vetting processes to make it harder for unsuitable people to enter the workforce and improving staff training.

Work is also underway to improve the training provided to staff – to ensure they not only have the technical skills needed but possess strong ethical foundations, too. It will see the introduction of a more structured, longer-term approach to training with higher standards, so staff will be better equipped and more likely to thrive.

Meanwhile, HMPPS’s Counter Corruption Unit is working directly with police forces across the country to identify and remove staff who abuse their position or engage in criminal conduct.

Background

• The report provides 12 recommendations to improve the processes around reporting bullying, harassment and discrimination. HMPPS has accepted all the recommendations and work is underway to implement these.
• You can read both the review and HMPPS’ response on GOV.UK HMPPS Professional Standards Review – GOV.UK

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 6 May 2025.

The Secretary of State has announced the appointments of Dr Hannah Bows, Sean Harvey, Suzanne McCarthy and Asrar Ul-Haq as members of the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors for ten years from 1 July 2025.

Biographies

Dr Hannah Bows

Dr Bows is currently Professor in Criminal Law at Durham University. She is also the deputy director of the Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse, where she leads and teaches on the criminal law module and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Dr Bows has declared no political activity.

Suzanne McCarthy

Mrs McCarthy has significant public sector experience in the areas of governance, regulation, standards, fitness to practice and audit and risk management. She is currently the Chair of the Fire Standards Board, the Valuation Tribunal Service, the National Guardian Office’s Accountability and Liaison Board and the Standards Committee of the Fundraising Regulator.

Mrs McCarthy has declared no political activity.

Sean Harvey

Mr Harvey has a range of earlier career experiences, including ten years as a primary school teacher. He now sits as a lay panel member at the Health and Care Professions Council, as a member of the Conduct Committee at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a panel chair at Social Care Wales. He is a magistrate who also sits in the Crown Court on appeals.

Mr Harvey has declared no political activity.

Asrar Ul-Haq

Mr Ul-Haq is a retired Police Officer with over 30 years of experience in a variety of policing roles on a local and national level. He is a registered Subject Matter Expert with the National Crime Agency. He is also an independent lead consultant, supporting organisations to improve service delivery, develop leadership and professionalism. Mr Ul-Haq is a member of the Greater Manchester Advisory Committee to the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice and an Independent Member of the Parole Board.

Mr Ul-Haq had declared no political activity.

The Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors (ACCO) makes recommendations on conscientious objection claims from Armed Forces personnel where an application to retire or resign a commission or for discharge on the grounds of conscience have not been accepted by service authorities. ACCO is a non-statutory Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Ministry of Defence.

It was established in 1970, but its history can be traced back to the tribunals set up by the National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The 1970 arrangements included an agreement that the Lord Chancellor appoints to the public appointee roles on the Committee to ensure that ACCO maintains its independence from the MOD.

It is for this reason that MOJ manages the campaign. As public appointments, the roles are subject to the provisions of the Governance Code on Public Appointments (the Code).

Owned by the Cabinet Office, the Code sets out the principles governing such recruitment and the role of Ministers. Roles covered by the Code are also subject to regulation by the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPA).

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 4 May 2025.

The Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, has announced the reappointment of Colin Allars as the Chair to the Independent Restraint Review Panel (IRRP) for a second term of 3 years. His reappointment will run from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028.

Mr Allars’ original appointment tenure commenced from 1 January 2023 for a 3-year term to run until 31 December 2025.

The Independent Restraint Review Panel (IRRP) was set up in response to Charlie Taylor’s review of pain-inducing techniques in the youth estate in 2016. The IRRP reviews incidents at youth custody sites when serious injuries or warning signs have been identified, or where a pain inducing technique has been deployed. In addition to the mechanics of restraint, the IRRP can make observations about behaviour management and staff behaviour and leadership. Although the IRRP is not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, this reappointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Collin Allars Biography

Colin Allars has been Chair of the Independent Restraint Review Panel since 2021. Mr Allars is also the Non-Executive Chair of the Government Facilities Services (GFSL), appointed in 2018. An engineering graduate, Colin has worked in both private and public sectors in a wide range of delivery focused roles. He retired, from full time employment, in May 2021 having served as Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Justice Board; NDPB responsible for oversight of and advice on the youth justice system.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 28 April 2025.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Richard Wright KC as a non-judicial member of the Sentencing Council with special expertise in criminal defence.

The reappointment is for 3 years from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2028.

The Sentencing Council for England and Wales was set up in April 2010 to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing, while maintaining the independence of the judiciary.

The primary role of the council is to issue guidelines on sentencing, which the courts must follow unless it is in the interests of justice not to do so. The council consists of judicial and non-judicial members with specialist knowledge of particular aspects of the criminal justice system.

The appointment of non-judicial members of the Sentencing Council is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Richard Wright was called to the Bar in 1998 and took silk in 2013. He has practised from 6 Park Square in Leeds since, 1998, where he has been Head of Chambers since 2013.

Specialising in murder and manslaughter cases, Richard has prosecuted and defended in some of the highest profile cases across the North of England.

Since 2020 he has been Leader of the North Eastern Circuit; leading the professions’ response to the Covid-19 emergency and, in 2022, he was invited to join the legal team of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Richard Wright was appointed Deputy District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) in 2006, Recorder of the Crown Court in 2012 and Deputy High Court Judge in January 2023. He has been a non-judicial member of the Sentencing Council since 1 August 2022 with experience of criminal defence.