Law Society calls for urgent investment to support Sentencing Bill reforms
The Law Society has issued a statement ahead of the Sentencing Bill’s second reading in the House of Commons, calling for urgent and sustained investment across the criminal justice system to support the success of the Bill’s proposed sentencing reforms. While the President of the Law Society, Richard Atkinson, welcomed the focus on preventing reoffending, he emphasised that access to education courses in custody is crucial for preparing prisoners for release and reducing reoffending rates. The Law Society supports the Bill’s emphasis on maximising suspended and deferred sentences—but highlights that successful implementation requires sustained investment across all parts of the system. It also urged an urgent review of the children’s custody release scheme to prevent young offenders from serving disproportionately longer sentences compared to adults with similar sentences.