Sentencing
The government has acted unlawfully in its use of indeterminate sentences, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
The court upheld an earlier High Court decision, which found that the Ministry of Justice had failed in its duty to provide the requisite courses that would allow prisoners to be considered for parole.
In R (on the application of
Probation officer Julian Broadhead says:
“Jack Straw has only himself and his colleagues to blame for this situation. It was always obvious that a large number of people would be sentenced to indeterminate sentences and placed in a prison system that was already unable to get determinate prisoners through the required programmes in time to be considered by the Parole Board.”
Broadhead doubts whether any further appeal would be successful. “Mr Straw cannot believe that there is any reasonable likelihood of success in a further appeal. Presumably he is stalling for time while more programmes are put in place,” he adds.
