Committees

Justice Committee: weekly update

29 March 2019

At the end of sitting weeks the Justice Committee publishes a brief summary of its activities in the form of a weekly update.

This week (commencing 25 March 2019)

Evidence session on the progress in the implementation of the Lammy Review's recommendations

On 26 March, we took evidence on progress in the implementation of the Lammy Review's recommendations, relating to the treatment of, and outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals in the criminal justice system.

We took evidence from David Lammy MP, and from:

  • Laurie Hunte, Criminal Justice Programme Manager, Barrow Cadbury Trust
  • Jessica Mullen, Policy Manager, Clinks
  • Jabeer Butt, Chief Executive Officer, Race Equality Foundation
  • Nina Champion, Director, Criminal Justice Alliance.

The discussion was very wide-ranging, taking in, for example:

  • the disproportionate number of BAME young people in the youth custody estate
  • workforce diversity in prisons
  • the diversity of the judiciary; and education as a protective factor against crime.

You can read the transcript here or watch again here.

Chair sponsors debate on disclosure of youth criminal records

On 28 March, the Committee chair sponsored a debate in Westminster Hall on the disclosure of youth criminal records.

This followed up the former Committee's report published in 2017, which found that the disclosure scheme created a barrier to rehabilitation and prevented large numbers of people from accessing education, employment and housing.

As well as the Chair, a number of Committee members spoke, including Robert Courts, Bambos Charalambous, John Howell, Ellie Reeves, Victoria Prentis, David Hanson and Marie Rimmer.

You can read the transcript here or watch again here.

Published correspondence

This week we also started to publish written evidence submitted to the inquiry into courts and tribunals reform.

Thank you to the many individuals and organisations who took the time to share their views.

Future business 

On Wednesday 3 April, the Committee will publish its report on Prison Population 2022: Planning for the Future.

The Committee will meet twice in public next week.

The work of the Solicitor General

On Tuesday 2 April, the Committee will take evidence from Robert Buckland QC MP, Solicitor General.

The Solicitor is one of the two Law Officers who advise the Government and the Crown; he is also deputy to the Attorney General.

This session will start at 10.00am in Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

On Wednesday 3 April, the Committee will take evidence from David Gauke MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.

The Committee is particularly interested in the MOJ's review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, following our report on criminal legal aid in July 2018.

This session will start at 10.00am in the Grimond Room, Portcullis House.

To watch either of these sessions live online, visit　https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Commons.

If you wish to watch in person from the public gallery, you can.

Further information

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