New powers for judges in England and Wales will let them impose solitary confinement and restrict visits for offenders who skip sentencing hearings. The measures aim to force criminals to face victims' families in court.
01Summary
- 01Judges can confine offenders to cells for up to three weeks and ban social visits for nearly a month for refusing to attend sentencing.
- 02The sanctions apply to England and Wales and are due to come into effect next year.
- 03Farah Naz, aunt of murder victim Zara Aleena, said the measures would 'rebalance the power in the justice system from offender to victim'.
- 04Visits from prisoners' children will be exempt from the new sanctions.
- 05Prison Reform Trust CEO Pia Sinha called for evidence the measures will work and warned they punish prisoners' relatives.
02Why it matters
Victims' families have long campaigned for offenders to face them in court; these rules aim to ensure they cannot avoid accountability. The changes could affect how seriously criminals treat sentencing hearings.
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