KEIGHLEY & Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has welcomed changes to the law that will give victims and bereaved families more time to challenge sentences they believe are unduly lenient.
The Government has announced that the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme will be reformed, extending the time limit for challenges from 28 days to six months.
The changes will also introduce a new duty to ensure victims are informed of their right to appeal sentences under the scheme.
Mr Moore says the reforms mark an important step forward for victims and their families, following years of campaigning and cross‑party discussions.
He said: “For too long, grieving families have been expected to appeal the sentences of their abusers within just 28 days, often without even knowing that the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme existed. That was clearly wrong.”
Mr Moore raised the issue with the Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP during a meeting held in January, after hearing from victims and survivors in his constituency who said they had not been told their abusers’ sentences could be challenged.
Last year, Mr Moore used the ULS scheme in relation to the sentencing of three Keighley grooming gang members, which resulted in their prison sentences being increased by a total of eight years. During that process, he said he had serious concerns after a local survivor revealed she had never been informed that the scheme existed.
Mr Moore pays tribute to campaigners who have worked to bring about the changes – including Tracey Hanson, whose son Josh was murdered. Ms Hanson was not told about the ULS scheme until it was too late to challenge the sentence.
He added: “I pay huge tribute to campaigners like Tracey Hanson, whose determination in the face of unimaginable loss has driven this change.”
He added that while the reforms were welcome, more work still needed to be done.
“This must be seen as a first step, not the final destination,” he said.
“We now need to look at expanding the scope of the scheme to cover a wider range of offences, so that more victims have access to justice.”
Mr Moore said he would continue working across party lines to push for further changes, describing the reforms as "essential to restoring confidence in the justice system and ensuring victims are treated fairly".
The changes will now be taken forward as part of the Government’s wider justice reform programme.
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