Give public a say on prison sentences, says Reform UK

The deputy leader of Reform UK has proposed a new law that would allow members of the public a say when they think criminal sentences are either too harsh or too lenient.

MP Richard Tice said he wanted a system where if 500 members of the public said they disagreed with a sentence in a petition to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), it would have to decide whether to refer the decision to a court.

He said it would add a further safeguard on sentences and that would give the public more confidence in the justice system.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said they were not actively considering Tice’s proposals.

Tice told MPs that “even noble, experienced, wise judges can get things wrong”, but that “maybe the public would have ever more confidence in a vibrant…