Plaid in call for justice powers to be devolved
POWERS over justice should be devolved to Wales in order to create a “more humane and more accountable justice system” for the country, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader has said.
Liz Saville Roberts said the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would “exacerbate the existing inequalities in our criminal justice system”.
The UK Government’s key crime legislation will have its second reading in the House of Commons today, with critics claiming it would impose disproportionate controls on the right to protest.
It comes against the backdrop of events on Saturday night when Metropolitan Police officers clashed with crowds who gathered to remember 33-year-old Sarah Everard on Clapham Common in London.
Ms Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, is expected to argue during a debate of the Bill that it would put pressure on Welsh services and further complicate the interaction between devolved and non-devolved policies.
She said: “The Bill’s harsher approach to sentencing is a step backwards and will only exacerbate the existing inequalities in our criminal justice system.
“We all see, for instance, how the Home Secretary’s crackdown on the right to peaceful protest leads to more aggressive interventions – from the vigil in Clapham on Saturday, to Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion.
“We all know that the Bill’s stopand-search measures will disproportionately target black people. I ask her, honestly, how does she expect these measures to address inequalities?
“This Bill will place further strain on the system in Wales, and lead to worse outcomes for all.”
She added: “We could do so much better in Wales if we had proper control of our policing and criminal justice.”
Yesterday the Labour Party announced it would vote against the Government’s key crime legislation because it is a “mess” which could lead to harsher penalties for damaging a statue than attacking a woman.
Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill contains “poorly thought out” proposals which would impose disproportionate controls on the right to protest.
He instead urged ministers to drop the legislation, which will come before the Commons this week, and work cross-party to legislate to tackle violence against women.
Amanda Milling, co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party, said it was “shocking” that Labour is “trying to block tough new laws to keep people safe, including many vital measures to protect women from violent criminals”.