The Department for Constitutional Affairs published a regular annual report of its performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2004, Cm 6391, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
The Home Office published a regular annual report of its performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Home Office Targets Autumn Performance Report 2004, Cm 6423, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release
Date: 2004-Dec
A report said that a comprehensive and constructive new approach to crime was needed. A positive agenda - based on prevention and treatment of causes, alongside much greater public involvement in alternatives to prison - would also enjoy widespread public support.
Source: Rethinking Crime and Punishment: The Report, Rethinking Crime & Punishment (020 7297 4700)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | RCP press release
Date: 2004-Dec
The Department for Constitutional Affairs published a five-year plan for the period 2004-2009. By 2008 all Crown Court buildings, and 90 per cent of magistrates' courts, would have separate witness facilities for victims and prosecution witnesses.
Source: Delivering Justice, Rights and Democracy: DCA strategy 2004-09, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Plan (pdf) | Plan | DCA press release
Date: 2004-Dec
A think-tank discussion paper said that the government s crime reduction strategy risked targeting the usual suspects rather than those who caused the most harm or posed the greatest risk. Many of those who committed hidden crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assaults, and crimes against children, did not come to the attention of the authorities.
Source: Richard Garside, Crime, Persistent Offenders and the Justice Gap, Discussion Paper 1, Crime and Society Foundation (020 7848 1685)
Links: Report (pdf) | CSF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
A think-tank report criticized the use of public service targets by the Home Office. It argued that some outcomes had been reported in misleading terms, reducing accountability; and some useful targets had been dropped, diminishing transparency.
Source: Home Office Policy Targets: How Useful Are They?, Civitas (020 7401 5470)
Links: Report (pdf) | Civitas press release
Date: 2004-Aug
The government announced plans to outlaw incitement to religious hatred. It said that religious and political extremists were a scourge of modern society, who preyed on the most vulnerable and insecure.
Source: Press release 7 July 2004, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Home Office press release | MCB press release | Christian Institute press release | Guardian report
>Date: 2004-Jul
The Labour Party published a consultative policy document on crime and criminal justice issues.
Source: Justice, Security and Community, Labour Party (08705 900200)
Links: Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jul
The Home Office published a strategic plan for the period 2004-2008. Key measures in the strategy included neighbourhood policing teams across England and Wales, and powers for local people to call on the police to take action to combat local problems. The Prime Minister said that the plan heralded 'the end of the 1960s liberal, social consensus on law and order' by putting the values of the law-abiding majority at the centre of the criminal justice system.
Source: Confident Communities in a Secure Britain: The Home Office strategic plan 2004-08, Cm 6287, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 19 July 2004, columns 21-40, TSO | Speech by Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister) 19 July 2004
Links: Plan (pdf) | Hansard | Home Office press release | PM speech | LGA press release | PRT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
The House of Lords voted against the proposed abolition of the office of Lord Chancellor.
Source: The Guardian, 14 July 2004
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
The Scottish Executive published the written responses received to the consultation exercise that looked at how best to address re-offending and rising prison populations in Scotland. The Scottish Prison Service had proposed scrapping all custodial sentences of less than a year to reduce the 20,000 prisoners it processed each year.
Source: Reducing Reoffending Consultation: Responses, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
Government departments published a plan for the further modernisation and reform of the criminal justice system for the period 2004-2008, with the aim of achieving improved witness and victim care, tougher enforcement of penalties, and fast-tracking of repeat offenders.
Source: Cutting Crime, Delivering Justice: A strategic plan for criminal justice 2004-08, Cm 6288, Office for Criminal Justice Reform, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 19 July 2004, columns 3-4WS, TSO
Links: Plan (pdf) | Hansard | Home Office press release
Date: 2004-Jul
The government published a national action plan on reducing re-offending. It said that strategic direction and joined-up working between agencies were key to reducing re-offending. The plan covered the areas of employment, training, accommodation, health, drugs and alcohol, children and families, and finance. Tenants sentenced to prison would be able to claim housing benefit for up to four weeks when they were liable to pay a landlord for the period of notice. Campaigners criticised the action plan as inadequate.
Source: Reducing Re-offending: National Action Plan, Home Office (0870 000 1585) | Press release 19 July 2004, Revolving Doors Agency (020 7242 9222)
Links: Report (pdf) | Home Office press release | RDA press release | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Jul
The budget for Home Office responsibilities (under the 2004 Spending Review) increased from 17.3 billion in 2004-05 to 20.1 billion in 2007-08, a 2.8 billion increase. This represented a two-thirds real growth since 1997.
Source: Stability, Security and Opportunity for All: Investing for Britain s long-term future - 2004 Spending Review/New public spending plans 2005-2008, Cm 6237, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Spending Review report (pdf links) | Home Office press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
A new book said that the evidence on which many recent changes in criminal justice policy were based was uncertain and controversial. Many of these changes were doomed to fail, and should be recast to make them more effective, less costly, and less damaging to offenders, their loved ones, and their communities.
Source: Michael Tonry, Punishment and Politics: Evidence and emulation in the making of English crime control policy, Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-May
The government published a summary of responses to a consultation on restorative justice. It said that the responses broadly endorsed the strategy, which aimed to maximise the use of restorative justice in the criminal justice system, and to encourage more high-quality, visible reparation by offenders to the community.
Source: Restorative Justice: The government s strategy Responses to the consultation document, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report (pdf) | Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
The government published a consultation paper on official inquiries. It said that existing legislation was piecemeal and did not provide a statutory basis for inquiries in all subject areas. It wanted to consider whether current legislative and administrative arrangements could be improved, so that inquiry recommendations could be implemented more quickly and economically.
Source: Effective Inquiries, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | DCA press release
Date: 2004-May
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on its proposal to create a Supreme Court, with the Law Lords separated from the House of Lords. It said the provisions of the Constitutional Reform Bill would ensure the continued independence of the judiciary.
Source: The Government's Response to the Report of the Constitutional Affairs Committee: Judicial Appointments and a Supreme Court (Court of Final Appeal), Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2004-Apr
The Home Office published its annual report and corporate plan. It said that the report showed 'a solid record of success' across the whole of its work, with the majority of the department s targets on course for delivery.
Source: Home Office Departmental Report 2004, Cm 6208, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Home Office Group Corporate Plan 2004-05, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Annual report (pdf) | Corporate plan (pdf) | Home Office press release
Date: 2004-Apr
The Department for Constitutional Affairs published its first annual report since its formation in 2003.
Source: Departmental Report 2003/04, Cm 6210, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Annual report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
The House of Lords voted to send the Constitutional Reform Bill to a special select committee for pre-legislative scrutiny instead of the usual committee process, threatening the Bill's chances of becoming law before a general election. The Bill proposed to create an independent supreme court and abolish the office of Lord Chancellor.
Source: House of Lords Hansard, Debate 8 March 2004, columns 1023-1112, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that the consultation process on proposed constitutional reforms had been too short, and the legislative timetable was too restrictive to deal with changes which were so far-reaching in their effects. It said that the reason for haste seemed to be 'primarily political'. It recommended that the government proceed with the Bill as draft legislation to enable proper scrutiny.
Source: Judicial Appointments and a Supreme Court (Court of Final Appeal), First Report (Session 2003-04), HC 48-I, House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Feb
The government published a briefing note designed to support consultation on proposed public service agreement targets for the Home Office. It was proposed that Home Office performance should be measured by six targets for achievement by 2008 - focusing on reducing crime and drug abuse, controlling immigration, and building community confidence and engagement. All targets would be underpinned by a clear commitment to tackling race inequalities.
Source: Consultation on Strategic Targets 2005-6 to 2007-8: Consultation briefing note, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Briefing note (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
The government published (following consultation) detailed plans to establish a Supreme Court for the United Kingdom. The existing Law Lords would cease to be members of the House of Lords, and would instead constitute a separate Supreme Court. The government said it was vital that the people who ultimately interpreted the laws were clearly separated from the people who made the laws.
Source: House of Lords Hansard, Debate 9 February 2004, columns 926-941, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 9 February 2004, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Hansard | DCA press release
Date: 2004-Feb
The government published (following consultation) a Constitutional Reform Bill, aimed at abolishing the office of Lord Chancellor and creating an independent Supreme Court and independent Judicial Appointments Commission. The Bar Council welcomed the Bill but called for fuller pre-legislative scrutiny.
Source: Constitutional Reform Bill [HL], Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 25 February 2004, Bar Council (020 7242 0082)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | DCA press release | Bar Council press release
Date: 2004-Feb
The government published summaries of responses received to four consultation papers on: judicial appointments; establishing a Supreme Court; the future of Queen's Counsel; and the reform of the office of Lord Chancellor.
Source: Summary of Responses to the Consultation Paper: Constitutional Reform - A New Way of Appointing Judges, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500) | Summary of Responses to the Consultation Paper: Constitutional Reform - A Supreme Court for the United Kingdom, Department for Constitutional Affairs | Summary of Responses to the Consultation Paper: Constitutional Reform - The Future of Queen's Counsel, Department for Constitutional Affairs | Summary of Responses to the Consultation Paper: Constitutional Reform - Reforming the Office of Lord Chancellor, Department for Constitutional Affairs
Links: Judicial appointments | Supreme Court | Queen's Counsel | Lord Chancellor
Date: 2004-Jan
The government published proposals, agreed with senior members of the judiciary, designed to 'guarantee, clarify and embed in statute' the principle of judicial independence. It said that it intended to define in legislation the respective responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and those of the Lord Chief Justice (the most senior judge in England and Wales) following abolition of the position of Lord Chancellor.
Source: The Lord Chancellor's Judiciary-related Functions: Proposals, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500) | House of Lords Hansard, Debate 26 January 2004, columns 12-30, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Hansard | DCA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jan