The Sentencing Council has spelt out a set of 'mitigating' factors relating to disadvantages that courts should take into account before passing sentence.
New guidelines that could see judges give criminals from 'deprived' backgrounds softer sentences have caused backlash.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk raised concerns with the guidelines - which took effect on Monday - saying the suggestions were 'patronising' and 'inaccurate', The Telegraph reported.Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk raised concerns with the guidelinesThe Blue Collar Conservatives told the council: 'We believe this is extremely patronising, not least to law-abiding working class communities.
Magistrates and judges have been ordered to take into account 12 factors of 'disadvantage' when determining an individual's responsibility for a crime. According to The Telegraph, Mr Chalk said: 'The Government is clear that many of the examples of difficulty or deprivation that have been set out in the consultation, such as low educational attainment and poverty, ought not to be relied upon as excuses to commit crimes.
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