1
Conclusion
Tenth Report - Public opinion and under…
Not Addressed
Beyond the role of the courts in imposing a sentence, the public does not have a good understanding of the role played by different state institutions in sentencing. That is unsurprising because the role played by government, Parliament, the Sentencing Council and the judiciary in sentencing involves a delicate balance …
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Beyond the role of the courts in imposing a sentence, the public does not have a good understanding of the role played by different state institutions in sentencing. That is unsurprising because the role played by government, Parliament, the Sentencing Council and the judiciary in sentencing involves a delicate balance of responsibilities, which are not easy to explain. Further, most of the public obtain information from the media about sentencing through reporting on individual cases, and such stories do not often provide information on the policies and responsibilities that lie behind individual sentencing decisions. The problem with this situation is that it creates an accountability gap, as it is unclear to the public which elements of sentencing the Government is responsible for.
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Government response AI summary
The government reiterates its commitment to the principle of open justice and describes the shared responsibilities among the MoJ, judiciary, and HMCTS, but does not propose specific actions to address the identified public understanding and accountability gap.
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Ministry of Justice
4
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Public opinion and under…
Not Addressed
There needs to be a step-change in the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General’s Office and the Sentencing Council’s efforts on public legal education. HMCTS should develop a programme which enables secondary school pupils to be able to visit magistrates’ courts and Crown Courts to find out about the criminal …
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There needs to be a step-change in the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General’s Office and the Sentencing Council’s efforts on public legal education. HMCTS should develop a programme which enables secondary school pupils to be able to visit magistrates’ courts and Crown Courts to find out about the criminal justice system and sentencing. Education about criminal justice procedure, including sentencing policy and practice, should be incorporated into the National Curriculum for Citizenship Education. The Sentencing Council should look into producing a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on sentencing that could enable members of the public to learn about how sentencing works in England and Wales. Resources on sentencing and criminal justice could also be added to the Oak National Academy Online teaching resources. The Ministry of Justice and the Sentencing Council should consider producing a standalone public-facing website dedicated to providing the public with up-to date information on sentencing trends in England and Wales.
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights existing public education initiatives such as TV broadcasting of sentencing remarks but does not commit to the specific new programmes, curriculum changes, or website creation proposed, instead deferring to the Sentencing Council's independence for some aspects.
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Ministry of Justice
10
Conclusion
Tenth Report - Public opinion and under…
Not Addressed
The broadcasting of sentencing remarks represents a potential game-changer for public understanding of sentencing in England and Wales. However, it also reinforces the need for up-to-date statistical information on sentencing practice and trends so that the sentencing remarks that are being broadcast can be understood in their proper context.
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The broadcasting of sentencing remarks represents a potential game-changer for public understanding of sentencing in England and Wales. However, it also reinforces the need for up-to-date statistical information on sentencing practice and trends so that the sentencing remarks that are being broadcast can be understood in their proper context.
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Government response AI summary
The government describes its existing initiative to broadcast sentencing remarks in Crown Courts and its purpose in increasing public understanding, but it does not address the committee's identified need for up-to-date statistical information to contextualise these broadcasts.
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Ministry of Justice