WATCH: 'No one receives preferential treatment!' Justice Secretary speaks out as sentencing guidelines blocked

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has introduced legislation to block controversial sentencing guidelines that would have required pre-sentence reports for offenders from ethnic, cultural and faith minorities.

Speaking in the House of Commons, she said: "It does prohibit the council from making guidelines about pre-sentence reports with specific reference to the offender's personal characteristics, such as their race, religion or belief or cultural background."

She emphasised that the bill "will not affect the court's existing duties to obtain a pre-sentence report in appropriate cases."

The MP also explained that the proposed guidance was "unacceptable" and amounted to "differential treatment before the law".

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