Tag: criminal justice

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Derby speaks at second reading

The Bishop of Derby spoke at the second reading of the Crime and Policing Bill on 16th October 2025, confirming that the Bishops Benches are committed to working proactively on the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I commend this Government’s mission to achieve safer streets and applaud particularly the aim of halving both knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade. The Bill touches on a wide range of complex and important issues, and I will raise just a few.

Reporting of child sexual abuse and the decriminalisation of abortion are of particular interest to my colleagues on these Benches. Indeed, noble Lords may have seen the Church’s statement in response to the debate in the other place on the decriminalisation of women seeking abortion.

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Bishop of Manchester asks about equity in the courts

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on equitable treatment of those from minority-ethnic backgrounds in the courts on14th July 2025, during a discussion on proposed restrictions on trial by jury:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, it was my privilege this lunchtime to be with a group of young legal students with very diverse backgrounds except that they had all been through the care system—a group of people who are more likely than anybody else to be charged and prosecuted for behaviours that others might be treated more favourably over. The same often applies to people from minority-ethnic backgrounds. Does the Minister agree that dealing with that disproportionality in how people are treated for the same behaviour by the legal system will be a good way to reduce some of the waiting lists of courts?

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Votes: Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill

On 4th June 2025, the House of Lords debated the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a bishop took part:

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Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about role of third sector in rehabilitating offenders

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked a question on the role of faith groups and the third sector in supporting rehabilitation of offenders on 2nd June 2025, during a discussion on the recently published Independent Sentencing Review:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, I join other noble Lords in welcoming the publication of the review. My friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester regrets that she is not able to be in her place today, but I know that she has been raising many of the issues addressed in this review over several years. It is heartening that the review has looked at creative alternatives to prison that are rigorous and yet also address the root causes of people committing crimes in the first place, and has proposed effective ways of preventing people entering cycles of criminality and reoffending, as well as strengthening and protecting communities, which is in the interest of victims on all sides.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about recall of offenders on licence

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on recall of offenders released on licence to prison on 19th May 2025, criticising a “one size fits all” approach to the issue and raising the risks posed to domestic violence victims:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, as has been said, this stopgap measure really shines a spotlight on the whole issue of recalls, which have grown exponentially in recent years. Some 75% are for non-compliance, which is hugely detrimental to the big aim of transformed lives, which holds both victim and offender together. First, will the Minister assure us that his Majesty’s Government will look at recall in the light of the independent sentencing review, which is soon to be published? Secondly, there will be those in the process whose recall is seemingly for minor breaches, whereas in fact there may be a danger of control and fear instilled in victims of domestic abuse. We need to bring complexity into our thinking, rather than one size fits all. Will the Minister give reassurance to victims of domestic abuse that that is being taken seriously in this policy?

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Bishop of Lichfield asks about reintegration of ex-offenders

The Bishop of Lichfield tabled a question on government support for ex-offenders to support their transition from life in prison and their reintegration into society on 15th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: To ask His Majesty’s Government what support they are providing for ex-offenders to support their transition from life in prison and their reintegration into society.

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Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester calls for long term view on crime and sentencing

On 7th May 2025, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke at the second reading of the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, advocating for a long term approach to sentencing that takes into account families and communities:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I declare my interest as Anglican Bishop for prisons. I am grateful to be speaking in this Second Reading debate. I too greatly look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Nichols. Having said that, I do not believe this is a debate we should be having at all. I do not believe this rather theatrical legislation is necessary.

In a world of sufficient resources, as has already been said, there would be comprehensive pre-sentence reports for everyone, to which careful attention would be paid in court. If we have to prioritise PSRs, then it makes sense to prioritise those we know are especially vulnerable, or where there is evidence of disproportionate outcomes from the justice system. Will the Minister comment on why he thinks there was such shock at this apparent two-tier justice with regard to ethnicity but not the other cohorts in the guidance, such as young adults and pregnant women? Do the Government believe the issues raised in the landmark report by the current Foreign Secretary almost eight years ago are now a thing of the past? Is there no role for judges in mitigating the issues raised in that report?

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Bishop of Southwark asks about progress on points raised in the Lammy Review

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on points raised in the Lammy Review on racial disparities in the criminal justice system on 3rd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, the independent Lammy Review of 2017, concerning the treatment of and outcomes for BAME individuals within the criminal justice system in England and Wales, identified disproportionate outcomes in a number of areas. I ask the Minister about two points raised in the final report relevant to the issue and whether there has been any progress. One was a lack of sophisticated data around ethnicity in the criminal justice system, and the second was that white suspects appearing in court were markedly more likely to plead guilty to an offence and thereby benefit from up to a one-third reduction in the sentence than was the case with BAME suspects.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about licence conditions for those under Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on communication around termination of licence conditions during a discussion on those under Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences on 24th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, taking into account what has been said already, I welcome the enactment of the provisions in the Victims and Prisoners Act, passed by the last Government, allowing termination of licence conditions for IPP prisoners. However, there are huge legal complexities involved, so I wonder what steps the Government are taking to ensure that those eligible to terminate their licence conditions actually understand their rights and are able to exercise them.

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Bishop of London emphasises need for support for victims of crime in debate on Crown Court backlog

The Bishop of London spoke in a debate on Crown Court Criminal Case Backlog on 20th March 2025, raising the need to support victims of crime:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is humbling to speak in this debate in the company of those better qualified than me to make comment, but I rise to speak particularly about the impact on victims. From London, I also welcome the noble Baroness, Lady Longfield, to her place.

It continues to be a great shame that criminal justice is one of those Cinderella public services. We often talk or feel that spending money on things such as schools and healthcare is good, and of course it is. However, talking about spending money on prisons, probation and the courts is much less frequently affirmed, despite the fact that not spending in the courts has a terrible implication for victims. I wonder whether improving public understanding of the importance of a well-functioning court system for victims and defendants may be key to winning wider support and gaining resources that are so desperately needed. What consideration have the Government given to improving public understanding in this way?

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