Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has announced a “tough package” of measures in the new Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, introduced in the Commons yesterday (February 5).
These include a clampdown on cautions and a hard-line approach to sentencing paedophiles and terrorists, as well as tough punishment for criminals who go on the run.
The Bill is expected to form a key part of the final batch of bills to be announced in the Queen’s speech later this year, after the European and local elections in May, and will form part of the run-up to the general election in 2015.
However, the package will not include the proposal for 100-year jail sentences that was mooted over Christmas in anticipation of an ongoing high court challenge to “whole life” terms, although ministers propose including life sentences for more terrorist offences, including weapons training for terrorist purposes, other training for terrorism and making or possessing explosives. These currently carry a maximum sentence of 14 years.
In addition, four offences of juror misconduct are being introduced as specific offences, including researching details of a case, sharing details of the research with other jurors, disclosing details of juror deliberation and engaging in other prohibited conduct, which are already offences under the Contempt of Court Act 1981.
Other measures include charging convicted criminals to pay for the cost of their court cases and a new offence, punishable by up to two years imprisonment, for criminals who abscond when they are completing the community-based part of their sentence.
The package of measures is expected to raise an estimated £30m a year towards the cost of running the court system in England and Wales.