The Latest Breaking News from the Sentencing Council

Moves to change the law come after the Sentencing Council refused a request from Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to reconsider its new guidance.

Former Tory justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland also suggested he had no truck with accusations the Government was implementing ‘two-tier’ justice.

Concerns over sentencing guidelines are genuine but government also hopes to win admirers with tough attitude

PM said ministers would consider next steps over guidance for judges in England and Wales aimed at tackling bias

Concerns are growing over new draft sentencing guidelines that critics say could make it easier for foreign offenders to avoid deportation.

Shabana Mahmood threatened to change the law if necessary after the ‘disappointing’ response.

Esther McVey drew comparisons to the Government’s recent decision to abolish NHS England.

Arm’s-length bodies went ‘rogue’, Sir Christopher Chope told MPs on Friday.

Robert Jenrick’s Bill proposed that the Sentencing Council be prevented from issuing guidelines without the consent of the Secretary of State.

In echoes of last summer’s riots, the government is again being accused of enabling a “two-tier” justice system in the UK. The current row is over new guidance published by the Sentencing Council, the independent public body that advises judges and magistrates on sentencing.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to set out plans to overhaul the British state later in the week.