Original title: Justice secretary to get power to veto sentencing guidance
Justice secretary to get power to veto sentencing guidance Shabana Mahmood will be able to veto guidance proposed by the independent body Announcing the new measures, Mahmood said “policy must be set by parliamentarians, who answer to the people”. The change 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. Under the new rules, Shabana Mahmood will have veto powers over any new sentencing guidance issued by the independent public body, the Justice Department said. The government is changing 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 new measure will be brought in as part of the Sentencing Bill, being introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday. The Sentencing Council is a non-departmental public body that sets out guidance for courts in England and Wales. Bot