News

Criminals who skip court sentencing hearings will now be ‘forced’ to attend or face more prison time

It's all thanks to the introduction of the new Victims and Courts Bill.

Emily Sergeant - 8th May 2025

Judges will now be able to hand down prison punishments for ‘cowardly’ criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearing.

It’s been a long time coming… but for the first time ever, victims are set to be ‘better protected than ever before’ thanks to new measures across the UK justice system following the introduction of the Victims and Courts Bill yesterday (7 May).

Not only will they be forced to attend court, but with the understanding that those facing long sentences or Whole Life Orders may not necessarily be deterred solely by additional time behind bars, the Government has decided to give judges extra power to impose a range of prison sanctions on top of additional years on their sentence.

Government ministers said this is to ensure that ‘heinous criminals’ who refuse to attend can be ‘appropriately’ punished.

The Victims and Courts Bill will better protect victims of crime by introducing:

✔️ New powers for judges to punish offenders refusing to attend sentencing

✔️ Parental responsibility restrictions for perpetrators of child sex offenceshttps://t.co/ax4037KHyR pic.twitter.com/b6DGc0vUDQ
— Ministry of Justice (@MoJGovUK) May 7, 2025

The new Bill also extends the eligibility to all cases in the Crown Court too, which means that all offenders who attempt to ‘evade justice’ could be subject to tough sanctions, as well as up to two more years behind bars.

On top of this, offenders who have been ordered to attend by a judge, but whose disruptive and disrespectful behaviour results in their removal from the courtroom, will also be punishable by the same means.

To ensure the Government and other agencies are ‘held to account’ in delivering justice for victims, the Bill also bolsters the role of the Victims’ Commissioner, so under the new legislation, the Commissioner will be able to play a bigger role in individual cases that raise systemic issues.

For too long, cowardly criminals have got away with not facing their victims in court.

In opposition, I promised victims and families I would change that. Now, I am.

Our new measures will force offenders to attend their sentencing hearing – or face tougher penalties.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 7, 2025

The aim of this measure is to ensure that ‘lessons are learned’ to benefit other victims or witnesses in the future.

“This Bill will deliver long overdue reforms to ensure victims see justice done and are given the vital support they need as they rebuild their lives,” commented Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood.

“There is still more work to do as we fix a justice system that was left on the brink of collapse, but this Bill is a step towards rebuilding victims’ confidence through our Plan for Change.”

Featured Image – Merseyside Police | Cheshire Police