Member

We must remember that we have a system of open justice with very limited exceptions, and in the vast majority of criminal cases any member of the public can walk into a court and hear each and every word said. I acknowledge that Ministers have since indicated a willingness to move in the direction of greater access, and that is welcome, but their proposals fall short. Under the approach now proposed by the Government, key details—including the timetable for provision, the scope of any exceptions and the safeguards that will apply—will be set out in regulations, and the remarks will be available only to victims who request them, rather than other individuals. The Opposition believe that, for something as fundamental to victims’ and society’s understanding of justice as sentencing remarks, that is not good enough. If the Government truly agree that victims should receive sentencing marks free of charge within 14 days, there should be no difficulty in keeping that guarantee in the Bill itself. The Bill also fails to allow for the publication of remarks so that others are able to see them, and I am not clear whether a victim who receives the remarks under the Government’s proposals would be allowed to forward, share or publish them themselves.