‘Press judges’ to explain sentences?

MPs believe judiciary could do more

Most people think that the average prison sentence has stayed the same or become even shorter since 2012, new research by the Commons justice committee finds. In fact, the average custodial sentence length has increased from 14.5 months in 2012 to 21.9 months in 2021.

In a report today, the committee adds that few people understood that offenders sentenced to life imprisonment remained on licence for the rest of their lives, while some didn’t even know what “on licence” meant.

The Commons justice committee taking evidence yesterday

In the committee’s view, the judiciary should consider appointing “press judges” to improve public understanding of sentencing.