People are to be given more and better information about the punishments given to criminals in their area, Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced today.
Offenders' crimes and their punishments will be shared more frequently with local communities under new Government guidelines published today, which encourage the police and other criminal justice agencies to make this information more widely available.
The move is part of a wider Government drive to make justice more visible and provide better information in a way that is easy to find and understand. It is part of the process of fulfilling the Justice Secretary's pledge to make court outcomes available online. The Government is working on plans to develop a website to make court results available to the public in a way that is simple, clear and informative.
This follows a Government poll that showed more than two thirds of people think it is important for the public to be told about the sentences handed out to offenders, but only a quarter currently feel well informed.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said:
'If people are to have confidence in our criminal justice system, justice must be done – and be seen to be done.
'Individual crimes often get a lot of media coverage and news can spread across communities quickly that a crime has been committed. However, the news that someone has been caught, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced does not travel as far.
'This guidance explains, once and for all, that authorities can publish the details of crimes and the punishments criminals have received, and that the Government actively encourages them to do so. It is vital people know that criminals will not escape the consequences of their crimes.'
Mr Straw urged all agencies involved in delivering justice to follow the successful examples set by those police forces and local councils who are already regularly providing this information on websites and in leaflets.
The Government's Crime and Justice Advisor, Louise Casey, has also published a report today outlining why this information should be shared with communities.
Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, said:
'People want to know what happens to criminals in their area once they are convicted because it shows that there are consequences to breaking the law.
'If those consequences are visible to the public, it builds their confidence in the criminal justice system by reassuring those who have had to live alongside these criminals or those who have been their victims that taking a stand against them and supporting the police and local agencies to bring them to justice has been worthwhile.
'Publicising criminal convictions opens up the criminal justice system, making it more transparent and accountable to the public.'
The move comes amid efforts to set straight the misconception that human rights and data protection laws prevent criminals and their punishments from being exposed. The guidance clarifies what information agencies can release.
Verdicts and sentences are given out in open court and are already a matter of public record. Copies of the court register, containing the outcomes of criminal cases and details of upcoming court cases, have been available to local newspapers and regularly reported for many years.
In the summer of 2008, the Justice Secretary abolished fees for making copies of the court register available to newspapers to support and encourage reporting.
In addition, Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) has set up a new enquiry service for court results, which will enable agencies to obtain this information more easily. This will help them to provide the public with more regular and better information about sentencing decisions.
The Policing Pledge, now adopted by all forces, also includes a commitment to provide monthly updates on local crime and policing issues, including information on specific crimes and what happened to those brought to justice.
Notes to editors
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The legal guidance Publicising Individual Sentencing Outcomes to the Community is available.
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Louise Casey's report Publicising Criminal Convictions: The Importance of Telling the Public is also available.
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For a full copy of the polling data, please contact Ministry of Justice Press Office.
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It shows:
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Over two-thirds (67%) of people say it is important that the public is provided with information about sentences given to people convicted of committing a crime, while less than a third (31%) say they feel informed about sentences.
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People who feel informed about sentencing tend to be more confident that the criminal justice system is fair and effective, and more than four in ten (42%) say themselves that knowing more about sentencing would make them more confident.
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There is strong opinion that information about the sentences should be in the public domain, particularly what the sentence was, its length and conditions, but also support for names (69%) and photographs (57%) being made available.
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Today's announcement ties in with the Justice Seen Justice Done campaign, a key part of which is about building the public's confidence that the criminal justice system is on their side. This campaign follows on from Louise Casey's Cabinet Office review Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime.
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Information on the policing pledge
The new Courts Results Enquiry Service will provide neighbourhood policing teams and local crime reduction and community safety partnerships with details of specific local cases.
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The Office for Criminal Justice Reform is the cross-departmental team that supports all criminal justice agencies in working together to provide an improved service to the public.
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