[News] Can you really make offenders attend sentencing?

[Hamilton]

This kind of smacks of grandstanding politics.

Can’t see how you can make people do anything short of putting them in a Hannibal Lector suit.

Criminals to be forced to attend sentencing hearings

It follows a number of high-profile cases where offenders refused to appear, including Lucy Letby.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Soton Seagull]

More populist nonsense to distract from their multiple areas of non delivery. Absolutely impractical, but good for headlines in right wing press.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Typical gesture policy from a desperate government. Unless you're going to knock people out and carry them in BA Baracus style, the only thing you can do to non-conformists is additionally charge them with Contempt of Court and add an unpayable fine or unservable time to their sentence.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

This kind of smacks of grandstanding politics.

Can’t see how you can make people do anything short of putting them in a Hannibal suit.

Criminals to be forced to attend sentencing hearings

It follows a number of high-profile cases where offenders refused to appear, including Lucy Letby.

www.bbc.co.uk

I'm not sure why this is required.
My assumption is that they are in attendance for the verdict, in most cases.
Why should they have to come back to the court after that?
Surely the verdict is the most critical point of the case?
That is the point justice is served.

 

[The Fifth Column]

No you can't. The manpower required to forcibly pick someone up and drag them into court and then keep them there will be expensive and disproportionate. And what if they decide to scream and shout, kick off, spit, etc how will that be managed? Do we really want to add this burden to the courts and police?

Its cowardly and disgusting but if the person knows they are getting banged up I can see why they would not want to attend. What does forcing them to attend achieve? If they don't want to listen to the bereaved families or similar they'll just put their fingers in their ears and ignore.

 

[dazzer6666]

…coming soon to a courtroom near you.

 

[junior]

I haven't read the link, but are they saying they will allow prison and GeoAmey (privatised prison transport) staff to use force to bring them into the court room, or are they going to do it by saying that if you don't attend sentencing your sentence will be increased/greater?

If it's the former, I can't see it working as the defendant could just be completely disruptive in the court room leading to them needing to be removed again.

I've also heard them say a possibility could be that they will live stream the sentencing into prisoners cells. I don't see that working either because firstly what would it achieve (they still won't be present in court), and secondly they could just stand with their fingers in their ears shouting so they can't hear what's being said.

It's a good headline, but from a practical point of view I don't see how it would work.

 

[Rookie]

It’s a nothing policy to attract the Daily Mail / Express readers.
If you are getting a whole life sentence what difference would it make if they extended your sentence? That is even before the sentencing panels get involved with the lesser crimes

 

[A1X]

Rules made in haste off the back of emotionally charged news stories seldom achieve positive results

 

[Lenny Rider]

I was more concerned to read recently 7 out of 10 officers in the Met haven't made a proper arrest in the last 12 months.

This country is truly going to rat shit before our eyes.

 

[The Fifth Column]

I was more concerned to read recently 7 out of 10 officers in the Met haven't made a proper arrest in the last 12 months.

This country is truly going to rat shit before our eyes.

Thats because they don't like to arrest their mates

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

This kind of smacks of grandstanding politics.

Can’t see how you can make people do anything short of putting them in a Hannibal Lector suit.

Criminals to be forced to attend sentencing hearings

It follows a number of high-profile cases where offenders refused to appear, including Lucy Letby.

www.bbc.co.uk

Well, you can make them go to prison so I don’t see why you can’t make them go into a courtroom ?

 

[The Optimist]

This was discussed on another thread and someone shared a really good article on this from the secret barrister.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I was more concerned to read recently 7 out of 10 officers in the Met haven't made a proper arrest in the last 12 months.

This country is truly going to rat shit before our eyes.

I expect they’ll get their figures up this December *taps nose*

 

[beorhthelm]

It’s a nothing policy to attract the Daily Mail / Express readers.
If you are getting a whole life sentence what difference would it make if they extended your sentence? That is even before the sentencing panels get involved with the lesser crimes

and was drummed along by opposition after the last high profile case. what's the government doing, when will they do something? gov not strong enough to say nothing needs to be done. judgement is close of the case and sentancing is a formality, seems many groups have decided its important for some personal remorse statment from the criminal, overlooking to obvious issues that will arise.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Well, you can make them go to prison so I don’t see why you can’t make them go into a courtroom ?

How is that going to help victim's families? Defendants have stared at families, sworn at them, and it puts the security guards at risk.
I've seen nonsense about tasering them, adding to their sentence; how is that going to affect someone with multiple whole life sentences?

It has happened for years, so this is just a knee jerk reaction from the Home Office to distract from their dreadful human rights abuses.

 

[Peteinblack]

I was more concerned to read recently 7 out of 10 officers in the Met haven't made a proper arrest in the last 12 months.

This country is truly going to rat shit before our eyes.

Too busy stalking/sexually assaulting women, or sending racist/sexist 'bantz' to their mates?

The 'canteen culture' seems to be stuck in the 1970s.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

How is that going to help victim's families? Defendants have stared at families, sworn at them, and it puts the security guards at risk.
I've seen nonsense about tasering them, adding to their sentence; how is that going to affect someone with multiple whole life sentences?

It has happened for years, so this is just a knee jerk reaction from the Home Office to distract from their dreadful human rights abuses.

I was answering a question about whether it is possible to force criminals to be present in court for sentencing. Clearly it is. I have no idea whether or not it helps victims’ families. Olivia Korbel’s family clearly think it will, hence their campaign. They have been speaking eloquently about how the current system made them feel. I am inclined to listen.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Well, you can make them go to prison so I don’t see why you can’t make them go into a courtroom ?

How is that going to help victim's families? Defendants have stared at families, sworn at them, and it puts the security guards at risk.
I've seen nonsense about tasering them, adding to their sentence; how is that going to affect someone with multiple whole life sentences?

It has happened for years, so this is just a knee jerk reaction from the Home Office to distract from their dreadful human rights abuses.

I was answering a question about whether it is possible to force criminals to be present in court for sentencing. Clearly it is. I have no idea whether or not it helps victims’ families. Olivia Korbel’s family clearly think it will, hence their campaign. They have been speaking eloquently about how the current system made them feel. I am inclined to listen.

I'm more inclined to listen to those who work regularly in the courts and in the police/prison service.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I'm more inclined to listen to those who work regularly in the courts and in the police/prison service.

Fair enough. But as there are victims who are asking for this I am also listening to them.