A new book examined criminal justice policy in the light of recent research on changing patterns of crime and criminal careers. It highlighted the costs – in terms of both money and opportunity – of prison expansion.
Source: Mary Vogel (ed.), Crime, Inequality and the State, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Dec
The Ministry of Justice published its 2007 autumn performance report, showing progress against its public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2007, Cm 7271, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Dec
A collection of essays drew together contributions from a conference on a range of subject areas relating to the overarching theme of criminal justice and social justice.
Source: Rebecca Roberts and Will McMahon (eds.), Social Justice and Criminal Justice, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies/King's College London (020 7848 1688)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Dec
The government published a strategy for the criminal justice system for the years 2008-2011.
Source: Working Together to Cut Crime and Deliver Justice: A Strategic Plan for 2008-2011, Cm 7247, Home Office et al., TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Strategy | Summary | Hansard | CJS press release
Date: 2007-Nov
The government began consultation on its strategic approach to reduce re-offending over the three years to 2010-11.
Source: Strategic Plan for Reducing Re-offending 2008-11: Working in partnership to reduce re-offending and make communities safer – A consultation, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500) and National Offender Management Service
Links: Consultation document | MOJ press release
Date: 2007-Nov
The Home Office published its 2007 autumn performance report, showing progress against its public service agreement targets.
Source: Home Office Targets: Autumn Performance Report 2007, Cm 7287, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Home Office press release
Date: 2007-Nov
The government responded to a report by a committee of peers on relations between the executive, the judiciary and Parliament. It said that the creation of the Ministry of Justice affected neither the Lord Chancellor's statutory obligation to uphold the continued independence of the judiciary, nor the government's obligation to provide adequate funding to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the courts.
Source: Government's Response to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution's Report: Relations Between the Executive, the Judiciary and Parliament, Cm 7223, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | Peers report
Date: 2007-Oct
The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill was given a second reading. The Bill included measures to: end automatic sentence discounts for offenders re-sentenced to an indeterminate sentence after an initial sentencing decision had been ruled unduly lenient; stop the 'plainly guilty' having their convictions quashed because of procedural irregularities; give powers for courts to make dangerous offenders given a discretionary life sentence serve a higher proportion of their tariff before becoming eligible for parole consideration; and create a presumption that trials in magistrates' courts would proceed in the absence of the accused.
Source: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 8 October 2007, columns 59-131, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | JCWI briefing
Date: 2007-Oct
A new book examined policies of local crime control under Labour between 1997 and 2006. It looked at the establishment of local crime and disorder reduction partnerships, attempts by government to subject them to a centrally-imposed performance management regime, the emergence of a strong neighbourhoods agenda, and the imposition of a largely enforcement-oriented attack on anti-social behaviour.
Source: Daniel Gilling, Crime Reduction and Community Safety: Labour and the politics of local crime control, Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Oct
The Serious Crime Act received Royal assent (following its third reading). The Act created 'serious crime prevention orders', a new civil order aimed at protecting the public by preventing, restricting, or disrupting involvement in serious crime.
Source: Serious Crime Act 2007, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 22 October 2007, columns 117-125, TSO
Links: Text of Act | Explanatory notes | Hansard | Home Office press release
Date: 2007-Oct
A report examined the arguments concerning the development of infrastructure to support policy-outcome evaluation in the Ministry of Justice, and proposed the creation of a new policy evaluation service.
Source: Chris Creegan and Alan Hedges, Towards a Policy Evaluation Service: Developing infrastructure to support the use of experimental and quasi-experimental methods, Research Report 8/07, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Aug
A report said that the government did little to protect potential victims of corporate fraud, or help those who had suffered at the hand of rogue operators. It challenged the presumption of regulators that the best protection for consumers of financial products was information and freedom of choice.
Source: Basia Spalek, Knowledgeable Consumers? Corporate fraud and its devastating impacts, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies/King's College London (020 7848 1688)
Links: Report | CCJS press release | FT report
Date: 2007-Aug
The opposition Conservative Party launched a plan for tackling the crime 'crisis'. It proposed putting more police back on the street; reforming schools and the criminal justice system; and (in the long term) strengthening families and communities.
Source: It's Time to Fight Back, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000)
Links: Plan | Conservative Party press release | Nacro press release
Date: 2007-Aug
The government published a strategy setting out the overarching principles, context, and framework for tackling crime over the three years 2008-2011. It promised a renewed focus on tackling violent crime, and offered improved support for victims of violent crime. It also called for maintaining and strengthening efforts to stop anti-social behaviour. From July 2008, everyone would be able to access street-by-street information via the internet about crime in their area.
Source: Cutting Crime: A new partnership 2008-11, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Strategy | Hansard | Home Office press release (1) | Home Office press release (2) | YJB press release | LGA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the role of the government's chief legal adviser, the Attorney General, was 'not sustainable'. It said that a career lawyer, not a political appointee, should advise the government on legal matters.
Source: Constitutional Role of the Attorney General, Fifth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 306, House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report | Times report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report by a committee of peers criticized the government's failure to consult the judiciary at a sufficiently early stage over the creation of the Ministry of Justice. It also said that the Ministerial Code should contain 'strongly worded guidelines' setting out the principles governing public comment by ministers on individual judges.
Source: Relations between the Executive, the Judiciary and Parliament, 6th Report (Session 2006-07), HL 151, House of Lords Constitution Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report | Times report
Date: 2007-Jul
The government began consultation on proposals to reform the role of the Attorney General. Options included making the Attorney General's legal advice public, and taking away their right to take prosecution decisions.
Source: The Governance of Britain A Consultation on the Role of the Attorney General, Cm 7192, Attorney General, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Consultation document | AGO press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that a lack of sufficient consultation prior to the creation of the Ministry of Justice had led to a 'highly undesirable' public conflict between the senior judiciary and the previous Lord Chancellor.
Source: The Creation of the Ministry of Justice, Sixth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 466, House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | PCS press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the United Kingdom should retain its right to veto cross-border European Union crime policies.
Source: Justice and Home Affairs Issues at European Union Level, Third Report (Session 2006-07), HC 76, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jun
A think-tank report proposed a radical decentralization and democratization of the system of justice. The framing and execution of the law had became remote from the people who lived under it. Judges, police chiefs and, increasingly, international accords laid down the application of criminal justice, often in such a way as to frustrate the decisions of elected representatives. The report suggested passing powers from global human rights quangos and judges to elected national parliamentarians.
Source: Send for the Sheriff, Centre for Policy Studies (020 7222 4488)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
The Serious Crime Bill was given a second reading. The Bill created 'serious crime prevention orders', a new civil order aimed at protecting the public by preventing, restricting, or disrupting involvement in serious crime.
Source: Serious Crime Bill [HL], Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 12 June 2007, columns 661-719, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | JUSTICE briefing
Date: 2007-Jun
The Home Office published its departmental report for 2006-07, outlining its performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Departmental Report 2007, Cm 7096, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
A report set out the objectives of the new Ministry of Justice (formed on 9 May 2007). It said that the new Ministry offered the 'best chance for a generation' to find the answers to some intractable problems in the criminal justice system.
Source: Justice: A New Approach, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report | MOJ press release | Hansard
Date: 2007-May
The Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 was given Royal assent. The Act provided for jury reform and a new system of non-jury trial, following the repeal of the Diplock Court system; and extended the powers of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
Source: Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007, Northern Ireland Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act
Date: 2007-May
The Law Officers? Departments (including the Crown Prosecution Service) published a departmental report for 2006-07, outlining their performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Departmental Report 2007, Cm 7114, Attorney General and HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
The Department for Constitutional Affairs published its departmental report for 2006-07, outlining its performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Departmental Report 2006/07, Cm 7097, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
The Prime Minister said that Labour government policies since 1997 had been 'misguided' in presuming that public investment in poor neighbourhoods would rid society of 'dysfunctional' families which were responsible for a high proportion of offending. In addition to public investment, policies were needed 'that target failing and dysfunctional families early and place those families within a proper, structured, disciplined framework of help and insistence on proper behaviour'.
Source: Article by Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister), Daily Telegraph 28 April 2007
Links: Article | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Apr
The government published the results of a review of policy on crime, justice, and security. It made proposals for identifying and intervening with at-risk children as early as possible; targeting the most prolific offenders; and 'designing out' crime. It said that there was a need to ensure that the criminal justice system could punish crimes and enforce sentences as rapidly as possible, and was responsive to local people.
Source: Building on Progress: Security, Crime and Justice, Strategy Unit/Cabinet Office (020 7276 1881)
Links: Report | Downing Street press release | Home Office press release | DCA press release | LGA press release | SCMH press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Mar
The government announced that the Home Office's responsibilities would be split into two. The National Offender Management Service, including the prison and probation services, would move on 9 May 2007 from the Home Office to the Department for Constitutional Affairs, which would then be renamed the Ministry of Justice. The Home Office would retain its other responsibilities, for policing, anti-social behaviour, overall crime reduction, security and counter-terrorism.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 29 March 2007, columns 133-135WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Downing Street press release | Home Office press release | Cabinet Office brief | Conservative Party press release | IPPR press release | Nacro press release | PCS press release | Attorney General press release | LCJ press release | YJB press release | Guardian report | FT report
Date: 2007-Mar
The Serious Crime Bill was published. The Bill created 'serious crime prevention orders', a new civil order aimed at protecting the public by preventing, restricting, or disrupting involvement in serious crime.
Source: Serious Crime Bill [HL], Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Home Office press release | Liberty press release | Guardian report | Times report
Date: 2007-Jan
A think-tank report examined spending levels on criminal justice and the government's performance against a range of key targets, including crime levels, re-offending, bringing more offences to justice, and anti-social behaviour. It also considered progress on the three big issues of policing, youth justice, and drugs. Government claims about success in improving the performance of the criminal justice agencies and tackling crime had been overstated and were at times misleading.
Source: Enver Solomon, Chris Eades, Richard Garside and Max Rutherford, Ten Years of Criminal Justice under Labour: An independent audit, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies/King's College London (020 7848 1688)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jan
A background paper prepared for the government's mid-term policy review examined trends in crime and social cohesion.
Source: Policy Review: Crime, Justice and Cohesion, Strategy Unit/Cabinet Office (020 7276 1881)
Links: Background paper
Date: 2007-Jan
The Home Secretary said that he was prepared to consider splitting the Home Office into two separate parts, responsible for protecting security and administering justice (respectively).
Source: Article by John Reid MP (Home Secretary), Sunday Telegraph, 21 January 2007
Links: Telegraph article | Home Office press release | PMOS statement | Nacro press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jan