Member

These amendments share a unifying principle: if the Government intend to allocate sentencing-related powers to probation practitioners, the Government must also allocate safeguards that accompany judicial authority. As drafted, the Bill dismantles that framework and does not replace it. The risks are clear: inconsistency between regions; decisions shaped by staffing shortages rather than offender need; a lack of transparency; and, in the end, an erosion of public confidence. Victims deserve assurance that sentences are meaningful and enforced. Offenders, for their part, deserve clarity and fairness. The courts deserve respect for their decisions. The public must know what is happening and what is being done in their name.