Ep46: Shabana Mahmood vs. The Sentencing Council

Does equality before the law mean treating everyone the same? Sparks have flown in recent weeks as Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood and Lord Davis, Chairman of The Sentencing Council, debate proposed guidelines that encourage judges to consider pre-sentence reports for certain groups, including ethnic and religious minorities. The Lord Chancellor has publicly criticised the proposals for creating a "two-tier" justice system. In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Sonya Ruparel, CEO of Women in Prison, and journalist David Shipley. They discuss what sparked the debate, why some oppose the guidelines, and who should have final say on matters informing sentencing. Sonya Ruparel Read Women in Prison's statement: David Shipley Read David's article for the Spectator: Further resources: Read the guidlines that sparked the debate: Read Rob's analysis of the debate: Read the letters between the Lord Chancellor and Lord Davis: Transform Justice Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

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Ep46: Shabana Mahmood vs. The Sentencing Council is an episode from The Transform Justice Podcast by Transform Justice.

This episode is 00:32:01 long.

This episode was published on Apr 11, 2025.

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