Sentencing Guidelines and pre-sentence reports
Tabled 22 April 2025 by Josh Babarinde
That this House recognises that everyone should be treated equally under the law; further recognises the vital role pre-sentence reports (PSRs) play in providing courts with the information they need to make informed sentencing decisions that keep our communities safe while aiming to rehabilitate offenders; believes that the equal application of justice is a fundamental principle of a fair society; expresses concern that the use of PSRs has declined sharply by 44% between 2013 and 2023; notes with concern that the Probation Service has been left overstretched and under-resourced, making it difficult to consistently deliver high-quality PSRs; acknowledges the importance of addressing disproportionality that sees ethnic minority communities over-represented in the criminal justice system, including by fully implementing the recommendations of the Lammy and Angiolini Reviews; and calls on the Government to restore public confidence and ensure everyone is treated equally under the law by taking steps to make PSRs consistently available and bringing forward a Royal Commission on Sentencing to restore public confidence and guide evidence-based reforms.
Signatories (25)
- Josh Babarinde Sponsor
- Clive Jones
- Wera Hobhouse
- Martin Wrigley
- Jess Brown-Fuller
- Zöe Franklin
- Sarah Dyke
- Helen Maguire
- Tom Morrison
- Liz Jarvis
- Tom Gordon
- Adam Dance
- Lisa Smart
- Mr Will Forster
- Claire Young
- Andrew George
- Ayoub Khan
- Alex Brewer
- Dr Danny Chambers
- Mr Angus MacDonald
- David Chadwick
- Gideon Amos
- James MacCleary
- Freddie van Mierlo
- Dr Al Pinkerton