UK Conservatives Plan to Abolish Sentencing Council Over Two-Tier Justice Claims

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced plans to abolish the Sentencing Council, criticizing it as "not fit for purpose" and accusing it of fostering a "two-tier justice" system by recommending judges consider factors like ethnicity and gender in sentencing decisions. Jenrick argues that sentencing should be controlled directly by ministers to ensure equal treatment under the law and to prevent what he describes as leniency in sentencing for certain offenders. This move follows controversy earlier this year when the Sentencing Council suggested judges "normally consider" ordering pre-sentence reports for offenders from minority backgrounds, a guideline that was suspended amid backlash. Critics, including the Labour Party, have condemned Jenrick's proposal as a cynical attempt to undermine judicial independence and a distraction from Conservative mismanagement of the justice system. The current Conservative leadership underscores the pledge as part of a broader effort to demonstrate unity and toughen the justice system ahead of the next election. The debate highlights tensions between judicial guidance bodies and political control over sentencing policy in the UK.