Carole Malone slams ‘two-tier’ soft sentencing for ethnic minority criminals: ‘Beyond unbelievable!’

Carole Malone has launched a scathing attack on new “two-tier” sentencing guidelines that would require judges to consider a defendant’s ethnicity when deciding prison sentences.

Speaking on GB News, Malone branded the guidelines “beyond unbelievable” and “racist, pure and simple”.

The controversial guidance, published by the Sentencing Council and due to come into force in April, has prompted Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to call for its reversal.

The row centres on whether the new approach creates a “two-tier justice” system that treats defendants differently based on characteristics including ethnicity.

Carole Malone told GB News: “It is an instruction. But, you know, when I read this, it’s actually beyond unbelievable. It’s actually racist. Apart from anything else, it’s racist, pure and simple.

“Listen, the Sentencing Council has now said that people from ethnic minorities, cultural minorities, and religious minorities have to be given special treatment, basically because of their background.

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“The point of the law in this country is that everyone is equal under the law. It doesn’t matter what colour your skin is or where you’re from.

“Think about it, if you stab somebody it doesn’t matter where you’re from, what colour your skin is, or what your religion is. You stabbed somebody. End of story.

“So I really don’t like this idea. Also, apart from cultural minorities, are we talking about trans people here as well? Are they going to get special treatment if something happens? I don’t know.

“What is really upsetting is that Shabana Mahmood, who is our Justice Secretary, is pretending like this has nothing to do with her.

“She’s saying ‘I’m from an ethnic minority, and I think the law is equal for everyone.’ However, as you just heard Robert Jenrick say on the Sentencing Council, she has a representative.

“So, she knew about the recommendations from the Sentencing Council long before they were made public. So, she could have done something about that.”

The updated guidance details that a pre-sentence report would usually be necessary before sentencing someone from an ethnic, cultural or faith minority.

This would also apply to other groups including young adults aged 18 to 25, women and pregnant women.

The Sentencing Council said greater emphasis has been placed on the “critical role” of pre-sentence reports.

These reports provide details about the circumstances of both the crime and the offender.

The guidelines also suggest rehabilitative sentences can be more effective in reducing re-offending than short prison terms.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has distanced herself from the guidelines, stating she will write to the Sentencing Council to “register my displeasure” and “recommend reversing this change”.