New laws that will keep violent criminals locked up for longer and put victims front and centre of the criminal justice system are being promised in the Kings Speech by the Government
The worst offenders will not only be kept behind bars for longer, but also forced to face their victims in court and hear first-hand how their crimes have devastated lives
Under the new Sentencing Bill, the most horrific murderers will face spending the rest of their lives locked up, including for any murder involving sexual or sadistic conduct.
These heinous criminals say the Government will have little or no chance of ever being released and life will truly mean life.
The change in the law will mean that a Whole Life Order must be handed down in the worst cases, with judges only able to choose not to impose one in exceptional circumstances.
The Bill will also make sure vile criminals who commit rape and other serious sexual offences face the full consequences of their actions and spend every day of their sentence behind bars, up from 50% when the Government came to power in 2010.
Judges will also be given more powers to make sure these horrific criminals attend court when their sentences are handed out to hear directly from victims and feel the weight of their crimes. Through the Criminal Justice Bill, the government will make clear in law that reasonable force can be used to make criminals appear in the dock. If offenders still refuse, they will face a further two years in prison.
create a statutory aggravating factor at sentencing to make sure grooming gang members and theirring leaders receive the toughest possible sentences.
Murdering a partner at the end of a relationship will also become a statutory aggravating factor at sentencing.
Ministers will also continue to progress the Victims and Prisoners Bill, ensuring victims are at the heart of justice considerations. This will give Ministers the power to stop the parole of the worst offenders and stop them marrying in prison.
The Criminal Justice Bill will also give the police powers to drive crime and anti-social behaviour off our streets, tackling everyday crime that can cause misery to families across the country.
The police will have the power to enter a premises without a warrant to seize stolen goods, such as phones, when they have reasonable proof that a specific stolen item is inside a property or premises, for example based off GPS location tracking technology.
Building on the police’s commitment earlier in the year to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, this will give the police greater powers to recover people’s stolen property once they have made their enquiriesand tracked it down.
As well as helping the police cut crime in our neighbourhoods, the Government will also take action to protect the British people from threats to national security in the face of rapidly changing new technology.
The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill will make sure the UK’s intelligence agencies continue to have the powers they need to tackle the evolving threats and technological advancements that providenew opportunities for terrorists, hostile state actors, child abusers and criminal gangs.
