"Fresh thinking" on prisons is essential for criminal justice system, says Law Society

30 June 2010

The Law Society has praised the Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke's "fresh thinking" approach to plans to cut the large prisons budget.

The Society has pledged itself to assist the Ministry of Justice in developing an effective criminal justice system.

Law Society president Robert Heslett says:

"The justice secretary has shown a real commitment and fresh thinking to reducing the prison population and how we approach criminal justice, sentencing and rehabilitation in this country.

"The legal profession is in a strong position to help inform and advise on new proposals. Criminal practitioners within our membership have a real understanding of how the justice system operates on the ground and this expertise can be of great value to the Ministry of Justice."

The Society points out that while there is a place for prison sentences - and indeed long prison sentences where the crime committed demands it - there must also be a debate about whether or not the balance between rehabilitation, deterrence and punishment is currently right.

The Society is also keen for the justice secretary to look at the possibility of some of the savings made from the prison budget being re-invested elsewhere in the criminal justice system.

Robert Heslett adds: "Cutting the prison budget, and with it the prison population, demands a fresh look at criminal justice as a whole, including legal aid, issues surrounding access to justice and efficiencies in the way the Legal Services Commission administers legal aid.

“The government has a duty to protect the Rule of Law and access to justice is integral to that. Legal aid plays a vital part in maintaining that principle."