Coroners and Justice Bill
6:15 pm
Edward Garnier (Shadow Minister, Justice; Harborough, Conservative)
I wonder whether I could ask Mr. Narey about the sentencing questions, both from your current position within Barnardo’s and also from your earlier experiences as someone who played an important role within the Prison Service. I am concerned by the clauses in the Bill which deal with the setting up of the sentencing council. You will perhaps realise that the sentencing council guidelines must be followed, if this Bill goes through as currently drafted.
Clause 107 states:
“Every court must, in sentencing an offender, follow any sentencing guidelines which are relevant to the offender’s case, and must, in exercising any other function relating to the sentencing of offenders, follow any sentencing guidelines which are relevant to the exercise of the function”.
There is then a little let-out that states:
“unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so”.