London Mayor backs 'Face the Family' campaign
Sadiq Khan is supporting a campaign to force offenders to appear in court for sentencing
Last updated 25th Aug 2023
Calls to force criminals to be in court to hear their sentence are being backed by the London Mayor.
Sadiq Khan says:
"If the victim and their family are willing to come to the court and share their experiences of the impact of the crime on them, I don't see why there should be one rule for them and one for the defendant."
Following several cases of killers refusing the leave their cells to appear in court to hear their punishment and to listen to the victim impact statements, the 'Face the Family' campaign has been launched.
The Justice Secretary had already committed to change the law following the brutal murder of Zara Aleena, the 35 year old law graduate who was killed on her way home in Ilford in 2022, but as yet nothing has happened.
Mr Khan said:
"It's really important the government at long last makes it the case that if someone whose found guilty doesn't come to the dock listen to judges comments, listens to the victims statement they get a longer sentence."
The 'Face The Family' campaign launched after Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer, Thomas Cashman, refused to appear in the dock.
The 34 year old wouldn't leave his cell to hear Judge Mrs Justice Yip deliver his 42-year sentence earlier this month.
Cashman's defence barrister, Professor John Cooper KC, told the court that his client was "worried the matter was turning into a circus."
At present, offenders cannot be forced into the courtroom.
What is the petition calling for?
The petition is calling for the government to introduce new laws which order an offender to be present in court for sentencing or face further punishment.
Following a number of high-profile cases where serious criminal offenders refused to be in the dock when their sentence is passed down, it is petitioning for a change in the law so they can be ordered to appear.
It calls for prison and court staff to be given powers to use reasonable force to get offenders into the dock - as they do to transfer them from a court to prison.
Why are there calls for this?
Families say they are currently being deprived the opportunity of gaining full closure and offenders have the power to deny them that.
They are calling for a shift in the law so that it empowers victims families and gives them every chance to witness justice be delivered.
When and how can I sign the petition?
The official government petition is live now, you can sign it here.