Conservatives promise to scrap Sentencing Council

The Conservatives have pledged to abolish the Sentencing Council and give ministers the power to issue guidelines to courts in England and Wales.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick will set out the plans that would put ministers in charge of sentencing policy, in a speech at the party's conference.

Jenrick will say the council is "not fit for purpose" and argue its guidelines have created a "two-tier nightmare", with people treated differently by the courts.

The announcement comes after a public dispute earlier in the year between the Sentencing Council and the government over pre-sentence reports for offenders from certain minority groups.

In response to that row, the Labour government blocked updated guidance and reviewed the role of the Sentencing Council.

In September, the government said it would change the law to stop the Sentencing Council issuing new guidelines to courts in England and Wales without the explicit approval of the justice secretary.

The Sentencing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, would give the justice secretary veto powers over any new sentencing guidance.

Last month, the then-Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said sentencing policy "must be set by parliamentarians, who answer to the people".

The Conservatives want to go further and get rid of the Sentencing Council altogether.

The Sentencing Council is a non-departmental public body that sets out guidance for courts in England and Wales.

In his speech, Jenrick will accuse the council of watering down sentences by recommending jail terms that fall short of the maximum allowed in law.

"All too frequently the law is not applied equally," Jenrick will say in his speech.

"No more - every single person in this country must be treated exactly the same, regardless of their background.

"The public are sick of voting for tougher sentences and getting the opposite."

The party says a Conservative government would introduce new legislation to give the justice secretary the power to issue sentencing guidelines.

Jenrick's speech comes on the third day of the party's conference in Manchester, where the Conservatives have faced questions about their flagging poll ratings and their direction of travel under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch.

Speaking to the BBC, Badenoch insisted her approach to changing the party would "pay off eventually" and Jenrick, who was a leadership contender last year, has backed her.

At a conference event on Monday, Jenrick said there was not a leadership vacancy and he did not expect there to be.

"My expectation is that Kemi will lead this party into the next general election," Jenrick said.