Proposal to scrap judge-led Sentencing Council called 'bonkers' by ex-ministers

A Conservative plan to abolish the judge-led Sentencing Council and give its powers to the Ministry of Justice has been described as “bonkers”, “unimplementable” and “potentially dangerous” by former Tory ministers.

- Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor

The shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, will announce today that the independent public body responsible for developing guidelines for judges and magistrates in England and Wales would be closed down by a future Conservative government because it is “not fit for purpose”.

Under Jenrick’s plan, lord chancellors will instead be put in charge of setting sentencing policy because the UK is “slipping into a two-tier nightmare under Keir Starmer”. He will blame the council’s guidelines for watering down sentences outlined by parliament for serious crimes.

The plan goes further than changes made by the former justice secretary Shabana Mahmood to the Sentencing Council so new guidelines to courts must be signed off by the justice secretary and the lady chief justice.