Judges to delay sentencing due to prison overcrowding crisis | Politics news

The judges were told to consider postponing sentencing due to concerns about prison overcrowding.

Sky News has seen an internal instruction to courts in England and Wales saying that if the defendant is currently out on bail, hearings scheduled for the next two weeks should be reviewed – and possibly postponed until mid-September.

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The document, sent on Wednesday by deputy chief justice Lord Justice Green and first reported by The Times, said the instruction was made “in the context of the current challenges in our prisons”.

They added: “If a prison sentence is assessed as a possible outcome, consideration should be given to rescheduling the hearing at the earliest possible date, but no earlier than 10 September.”

“Each case must be examined individually and decisions must be made based on the interests of justice.”

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The government has already announced the standard release date for many prisoners is preferred – Release of thousands of cells across the country.

However, this measure is not due to come into force until September 10, meaning that the large number of recent convictions related to the unrest will place an additional immediate strain on the prison system.

Lord Justice Green's direction means that people found guilty of a crime may be able to stay on bail from prison for several weeks longer.

Government sources said defendants deemed to pose the greatest threat to the public were already behind bars and this rule did not apply to them.

The source also said courts can impose strict bail conditions before sentencing.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “The new government has inherited a prison crisis and this is another sign of the pressures our justice system is under. The changes coming into force in September will bring this crisis under control.”

Justices of the Peace deal with crimes such as assault and burglary and have the power to impose a maximum sentence of six months for a single offence and a maximum sentence of twelve months for multiple offences.

Earlier this week, the government Operation: Early Dawn – This means that defendants could be held in police cells for longer until space becomes available in prison.