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.
The guidance, effective from April 1, broadens the categories of cases in which pre-sentence reports should be sought. Compiled by the probation service, pre-sentence reports give courts information about an offender’s background, the circumstances of their offence, the risk they pose and their suitability for certain types of sentence.
