Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

Page 19, line 18, leave out paragraph (b)

Insert the following new Clause—

“Women’s Justice Strategy Commission

(1) There shall be body known as the Women’s Justice Strategy Commission for England and Wales (“the Commission”).

(2) The Commission shall consist of no less than 10 and no more than 20 members appointed by the Secretary of State.

(3) The members of the Commission—

(a) shall include persons representative of government departments and public bodies whose responsibilities have relevance to the treatment of female offenders and the prevention of offending by women (including, but not limited to, responsibilities for criminal justice, housing, education, employment, benefits, social services and health services), and

(b) shall work with specialists who have the experience and knowledge to provide the necessary expert advice.

(4) The Commission shall have the following functions, namely—

(a) to develop a strategy to reduce offending by women and for the delivery of appropriate and effective services to women in the criminal justice system,

(b) to monitor the extent to which the aims of that strategy are being met,

(c) to set standards with respect to the specification, commissioning and provision of services to women in the criminal justice system and services to reduce offending by women,

(d) to make grants, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to bodies to enable them to develop good practice in the provision of services to women in the criminal justice system and the prevention of offending by women.

(5) The Commission shall provide an annual report to Parliament relating to its discharge of the functions specified in subsection (4).”

Insert the following new Clause—

“Women’s Justice Commission

(1) There shall be body corporate known as the Women’s Justice Commission for England and Wales (“the Commission”).

(2) The Commission shall consist of 10, 11 or 12 members appointed by the Secretary of State.

(3) The members of the Commission shall include persons who appear to the Secretary of State to have extensive recent experience of the treatment of female offenders and women at risk of offending.

(4) The Commission shall have the following functions, namely—

(a) to develop a strategy to reduce offending by women and the delivery of appropriate and effective services to women in the criminal justice system,

(b) to monitor the extent to which the aims of that strategy are being met,

(c) to advise the Secretary of State on the operation of the criminal justice system in relation to women, the provision of services to women in the criminal justice system and the steps which might be taken to prevent offending by women,

(d) to set standards with respect to the specification, commissioning and provision of such services,

(e) to make grants, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to bodies to enable them to develop good practice in the provision of services to women in the criminal justice system and the prevention of offending by women.

(5) The Commission shall provide an annual report to Parliament relating to its discharge of the functions specified in subsection (4).”

Insert the following new Clause—

“Treatment of women in the criminal justice system

(1) The Secretary of State shall—

(a) in each year, publish a strategy designed to promote the just and appropriate treatment of women in the criminal justice system, and

(b) appoint a person with responsibility for leading and co-ordinating the implementation of that strategy.

(2) Publication under subsection (1)(a) shall be effected in such manner as the Secretary of State considers appropriate for the purpose of bringing the strategy to the attention of persons engaged in the administration of criminal justice and of the public.”