JUSTICE SECRETARY Shabana Mahmood has promised a full review of court bail guidance following criticism that it gives special treatment to ethnic minorities, reported The Telegraph.
Speaking in Parliament, Mahmood said she would “ensure that equality before the law is never a principle that is compromised”. Her comments came after Conservative MP Robert Jenrick raised concerns over new bail guidelines introduced in January.
The rules, issued by the Ministry of Justice, advised judges and magistrates to “prioritise” suspects from ethnic minorities, as well as women and transgender people.
They claim these groups face a higher risk of being held in custody before trial. Judges are also asked to consider if suspects have suffered trauma due to racism, discrimination, or past historical events affecting their communities.
Jenrick accused the government of creating a “two-tier” justice system. He said: “Under brand-new guidance her own department issued in January, pre-sentence reports must consider an offender’s ‘culture’. It should take into account intergenerational trauma from, and I quote, ‘important historical events’.”
He added: “Instead of treating people equally, they believe in cultural relativism. Will she change it, or is that now Labour Party policy?”
Mahmood dismissed the claims as “a load of nonsense” and said the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill would clarify the line between policy and the independent decisions of judges.
She later confirmed: “We are reviewing absolutely everything, and I will ensure that equality before the law is never a principle that is compromised under this Government. It is, of course, a principle that was compromised under the Conservative government.”
During the same session, Jenrick also criticised the appointment of certain judges, including immigration judge Greg O Ceallaigh, over allegedly extreme political views. He questioned whether such views were compatible with judicial impartiality.
Mahmood replied that there are proper systems in place to complain about judges, but she would not engage in public attacks on individual members of the judiciary.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle stepped in to remind MPs that they must avoid criticising judges in Parliament, warning that such actions risk undermining the independence of the courts.
Jenrick also called for urgent reform of the Judicial Appointments Commission, saying its failures could damage public trust in the justice system.
