Member

In the time I have left, let me turn to the rest of the Government amendments and new clauses. Fairness must be the foundation of any justice system. Whoever they are and wherever they come from, people must be able to trust that they will be treated equally before the law. Before introducing this Bill, we carried out a full equality impact assessment. Although that assessment found no evidence of discrimination arising from our reforms, we are aware that long-standing disparities remain in the criminal justice system. People from black and minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be victims of crime, while defendants from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are also more likely to be remanded into custody before trial. When we talk about tackling delays, it is not simply a question of efficiency; it also becomes a question of fairness.