{"id":3548,"date":"2026-01-21T12:23:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T12:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmuperu.co.uk\/bjcj\/?page_id=3548"},"modified":"2026-01-21T14:12:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T14:12:21","slug":"the-sentencing-review-is-indicative-of-failure-to-tackle-institutional-racism-in-the-criminal-legal-system","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mmuperu.co.uk\/bjcj\/the-sentencing-review-is-indicative-of-failure-to-tackle-institutional-racism-in-the-criminal-legal-system\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sentencing Review is indicative of failure to tackle institutional racism in the criminal legal system"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meka Beresford, Head of Policy, Action for Race Equality <\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Racial disparities in the criminal legal system\u00a0is\u00a0an incredibly well documented issue.\u00a0From the Scarman report in 1981<\/span>1<\/span>, to the Macpherson Report in 1999<\/span>2<\/span>, and the Lammy Review in 2017<\/span>3<\/span>, we have spent decades naming the\u00a0issue of racism, racial discrimination, and institutionally racist policy and practice as a driving force behind inequitable treatment across the legal system.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2020, we saw a fresh push to end these disparities\u00a0once and for all,\u00a0largely spurred\u00a0on by the murder of George Floyd and the\u00a0great success\u00a0of the Black\u00a0Lives Matter\u00a0movement<\/span>4<\/span>.\u00a0Several strategies, programmes, and plans aimed at\u00a0tackling racial discrimination\u00a0were published\u00a0across different arms of the criminal legal system\u00a0in light of\u00a0these events.\u00a0However, the commitment to solve an issue that\u00a0deeply harms\u00a0Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage\u00a0communities\u00a0soon faded into obscurity,\u00a0and much of the work to\u00a0dismantle systemic racism\u00a0has\u00a0drowned in\u00a0bureaucratic\u00a0processes,\u00a0surmounting\u00a0in nothing more than an extensive public relations activity.\u00a0Rather, racial disparities in the criminal legal system have continued, and in some instances, they have worsened<\/span>5<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Action for Race Equality recognise that a multi-part approach is\u00a0required\u00a0to tackle disproportionality in the criminal legal system.\u00a0Crucially, dedicated action plans\u00a0and strategies\u00a0are still needed, but there also needs to be a more extensive\u00a0embedding\u00a0of anti-racist action across\u00a0all justice policy change.\u00a0The Sentencing Review<\/span>6<\/span>\u00a0provided\u00a0a\u00a0distinctly unique\u00a0opportunity\u00a0to\u00a0do just that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Racial Disparities in Sentencing<\/span><\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2023,\u00a0Dr Kitty Lymperopoulou\u00a0published one of the most comprehensive studies of the extent and drivers of ethnic disparities\u00a0in sentencing, examining linked data from the MoJ Data First programme<\/span>7<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research, which was supported by Action for Race Equality<\/span>8<\/span>\u00a0and Clinks<\/span>9<\/span>, found that\u00a0legally relevant factors, such as plea, pre-trial detention,\u00a0and\u00a0offence type and severity\u00a0do not explain fully explain disparities in remand and sentencing outcomes between ethnic minority groups and the White British group, indicating that racial discrimination and bias\u00a0are likely\u00a0creating disparate outcomes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research also found that defendants from most ethnic minority groups are more likely to be sent to Crown Court for trial, more likely to plead not guilty, and more likely to be remanded in custody when they appear in the Crown Court than the White British group.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sentencing Review\u00a0<\/span><\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the strength of the evidence by Dr Lymperopoulou<\/span>10<\/span>, and the case made by many\u00a0organisations\u00a0including Action for Race Equality<\/span>11<\/span>\u00a0about the need for the\u00a0Sentencing Review\u00a0to\u00a0consider racial disparities, the\u00a0expert\u00a0panel decided to exclude racial disparities from its final report\u00a0explaining that \u201cin accordance with its Terms of Reference, the Review has not considered these disparities in detail\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Rather, the chair called for a bespoke review which would consider racial disparities in sentencing.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Terms of Reference<\/span>12<\/span>\u00a0did not explicitly exclude consideration of racial disparities from the Review\u2019s remit. However, it did\u00a0seek\u00a0to consider \u201cwhether the sentencing framework should be amended to take into account the specific needs or vulnerabilities of specific cohorts\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Black and ethnic minority people are being systematically sentenced more harshly than their white counterparts<\/span>13<\/span>\u00a0due to discriminatory sentencing. In ARE\u2019s view, this should be considered a \u2018specific vulnerability\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By\u00a0failing to examine\u00a0racial disparities in sentencing, the Review has missed a moment to drive transformative change and rebuild public trust.\u00a0Disparities in the justice system are already well documented. Successive reviews have\u00a0identified\u00a0institutional racism as an urgent and persistent problem and yet change has not occurred.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A \u2018bespoke\u2019 review, as suggested by the Chair, risks reproducing the fragmentation that has long undermined meaningful progress on race equality within the justice system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The pathway to change\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are confident that the system is aware of how and why institutional racism continues to persist, and past reviews have laid out\u00a0clear evidence\u00a0and recommendations. We believe that there are several key factors hindering the pathway to change.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Firstly, and most crucially, is political will. Over the past 18 months we have seen racist rhetoric become commonplace in the UK, and successive governments have deprioritised racial equality within justice reform<\/span>14<\/span>. Without genuine political commitment at the highest levels, institutional racism will continue to be managed as a reputational risk rather than confronted as a systemic harm.\u00a0Leaders must commit\u00a0to a clear programme of action that embeds racial equity as a core principle of justice policy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Secondly, stronger legislation is needed. This year marks 60 years since the first Race Relations Act was introduced. While these early statutes were groundbreaking, they have not kept pace with the complex and institutional forms of racism that persist today. Current equality law lacks the enforcement power, accountability mechanisms, and resourcing\u00a0required\u00a0to drive real change across criminal justice agencies<\/span>15<\/span>. Legislative reform must set binding duties on institutions to\u00a0identify,\u00a0prevent\u00a0and remedy racial disparities in outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thirdly, inconsistent data collection continues to obscure the scale of the problem. The failure to consistently record ethnicity data using standardised categories\u00a0across agencies,\u00a0and to make this data publicly available,\u00a0undermines transparency and accountability. A unified framework for data collection and publication, applied across all stages of the criminal process, is essential to evidencing<\/span>16<\/span>\u00a0and addressing racial injustice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, tackling institutional racism demands a dedicated strategy and clear lines of responsibility. This includes cross-government coordination, independent oversight, and properly funded implementation. Responsibility must not be diffused across departments or reviews but owned collectively and driven by measurable outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ending institutional racism in the criminal legal system is not a question of evidence but of action. The tools, knowledge, and moral imperative already exist. What is\u00a0required\u00a0now is the courage and commitment to deliver lasting structural change.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Contact: Meka@actionforraceequality.org.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meka Beresford, Head of Policy, Action for Race Equality \u00a0 \u00a0 Racial disparities in the criminal legal system\u00a0is\u00a0an incredibly well […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1700,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3548","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Sentencing Review is indicative of failure to tackle institutional racism in the criminal legal system - BJCJ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mmuperu.co.uk\/bjcj\/the-sentencing-review-is-indicative-of-failure-to-tackle-institutional-racism-in-the-criminal-legal-system\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Sentencing Review is indicative of failure to tackle institutional racism in the criminal legal system - 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