Reforming the justice system

To The Guardian

David Lammy is right. It will take more than a simple policy change to tackle the racial discrimination that defines – and shames – our criminal justice system. Our experience shows that some of the biggest barriers to a fairer system are institutionalised, and it is vital that government, courts, probation service, youth offending teams and custodial settings are all led by Lammy’s principle of “explain or reform” to make inaction on racial and ethnic disparities a thing of the past.

As leaders of agencies working with men and women across the criminal justice system and/or members of The Young Review, we are committed to creating a system that no longer discriminates against men and women from Bame (black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities, and to supporting the leaders of our justice system to achieve this. Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey (and others)

To The Times

Further to David Lammy’s report, in sitting for 15 years as a criminal court circuit judge (I retired last year) I can say I never sentenced anyone more harshly because of his or her colour or ethnicity. In reality, to do so would be contrary to one’s oath of office to deal fairly to all.

Nevertheless, I have to confess that I have on occasions sentenced black youths to more lenient sentences than they might have expected, because they so often came from broken homes, had become involved in gangs and been under intense peer pressure. That is not to say that similar mitigation would not apply to white youths, simply that in their cases those circumstances do not so often arise. No judge wants to send young people to prison, whatever their colour. That the percentage of black youths in custody is so high is, sadly, because they commit more offences. His Honour Andrew Hamilton, Nottingham