Judge Judy has slammed the UK’s Sentencing Council for new guidelines telling judges in England and Wales that they must consider a defendant’s ethnicity, religion, and gender when deciding whether to send them to prison.
The world famous TV judge has said she would be ‘furious’ if she was a judge who had to implement the guidelines, which Keir Starmer is under pressure to stop.
The 82-year-old described the guidelines as ‘a mistake’ during an interview with ITV News.
She added: ‘The justice system is broken. Making it look more compassionate isn’t going to solve the justice system.’
‘Sometimes well-intentioned people create bad laws. And the problem is that usually innocents, who have nothing to do with that mentality, are the ones that suffer because they become the next victim.’
The long-time host of Judge Judy and Judy Justice made her view on the controversial change for judges to consider ethnicity and religion when sentencing.
In her typical non-nonsense style, she said: ‘What is your race, ethnicity, or gender have to do with going into grocery store and taking out a gun and taking 50 bucks out of the cash register? Or hitting somebody over the head with a golf club and stealing their wallet?’
The former criminal and family court judge made clear that sentencing is either for punishment or rehabilitation.
Judge Judy has said she would be ‘furious’ if she was a judge who had to implement the guidelines, which Keir Starmer is under pressure to stop
The 82-year-old described the guidelines as ‘a mistake’ during an interview with ITV News
The former criminal and family court judge made clear that sentencing is either for punishment or rehabilitation
She said: ‘You’re either going to put someone in jail because you’re going to punish them for the crime to send a message to the rest of the community. This is what happens, and to keep the community safe away from someone who you consider a violent.
‘Or rehabilitation. I don’t see how those [sentencing guidelines] criteria that you just mentioned have anything to do with rehabilitation.
‘So we’re concentrating on punishment, and you are separating some people from others and saying, well, you must consider race, gender, ethnicity, something other than a propensity to continue to commit crimes.
‘I would be furious if I didn’t fit one of those criteria.’
The scolding from the renowned television lawyer comes as the Prime Minister was branded ‘Two Tier Keir’ by the Tories as he was challenged over the new guidance to judges.
Sir Keir Starmer was urged to support a Bill the Tories say will stop the guidance.
Some critics argue that this measure means the system would be biased against white defendants, and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has clashed with the council as she tries to have it reversed.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday Sir Keir said it is important that ‘everyone should be equal before the law’ as he faced questions over the change, which is due to come into effect in April.
The long-time host of Judge Judy and Judy Justice made her view on the controversial change for judges to consider ethnicity and religion when sentencing
The Prime Minister was labelled ‘Two Tier Keir’ by critics last year over the Government’s response to the riots which followed the murders of three children in Southport (file image)
Conservative MP for Fylde Andrew Snowden said: ‘In 20 days’ time new sentencing guidance will come into effect that the Justice Secretary has already conceded will be two-tier in its nature.
‘It will mean that the colour of your skin or the religion you have will give you leniency in the eyes of the law and will plunge public confidence in the judiciary into crisis. But it is avoidable. We Conservatives have tabled a Bill that, if backed on Friday, can stop this guidance in its tracks.’
Mr Snowden, a former police and crime commissioner for Lancashire, added: ‘So, will the Prime Minister… will he now overrule his Justice Secretary and confirm here and now that he will back this Bill. Or will he simply step aside and prove that he has in fact been “Two Tier Keir” all along?’
Last week the Sentencing Council published new principles for courts to follow when imposing community and custodial sentences, including whether to suspend jail time.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said he will legally challenge the guidance on the grounds it enshrines ‘anti-white’ and ‘anti-Christian’ bias in the criminal justice system.
The updated guidance, which comes into force from April 1, says a pre-sentence report will usually be necessary before handing out punishment for someone of an ethnic, cultural or faith minority, alongside other groups such as young adults aged 18 to 25, women and pregnant women.
The 82-year-old said: ‘The justice system is broken. Making it look more compassionate isn’t going to solve the justice system’
Judge Judy has slammed the UK’s Sentencing Council for new guidelines telling judges in England and Wales that they must consider a defendant’s ethnicity, religion, and gender when deciding whether to send them to prison
The body’s chairman, Lord Justice William Davis, warned Ms Mahmood that the Sentencing Council preserves the ‘critical’ position of the independent judiciary in relation to sentencing.
The Prime Minister was labelled ‘Two Tier Keir’ by critics last year over the Government’s response to the riots which followed the murders of three children in Southport. It was claimed some public incidents had been policed more harshly than others.
