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Written Question
Attorney General: Equality
Friday 4th April 2025

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what diversity, equality and inclusion targets her Department has for staff recruitment.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Attorney General’s Office does not have a set target for diversity, equality and inclusion (EDI) for staff recruitment or representation. The AGO welcomes applications from those of all backgrounds.

Written Question
Sentencing: Appeals
Tuesday 2nd February 2021

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme is a vital safeguard in our criminal justice system. It permits the Law Officers to intervene personally in a case where a sentencing judge has fallen into gross error and imposed a sentence which is outside the reasonable range.

Sentencing judges get it right in the vast majority of cases. In those rare cases where they get it wrong, the scheme ensures that justice is served.

I recently argued in person before the Court of Appeal that the dangerous and depraved serial rapists Joseph McCann and Reynhard Sinaga should have received whole life sentences. The Court of Appeal did not impose whole life sentences, but it did increase their minimum terms from 30 to 40 years to properly reflect the truly heinous nature of their offending and protect the public from them.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 05 Oct 2020
Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

"I am grateful for the opportunity to open this Adjournment debate on an issue that is of great importance to my constituents. We have a brilliant judicial system in our country—it is the envy of the world—and we get it right most of the time. However, sometimes we get it …..."
Lee Anderson - View Speech

View all Lee Anderson (RUK - Ashfield) contributions to the debate on: Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 05 Oct 2020
Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

"I welcome the fact that this Government want to go further as part of their determination to protect the public from serious offenders.

The Government have published a sentencing White Paper, which represents the largest reform to sentencing for almost 20 years. Victims will have the power to query sentences …..."
Lee Anderson - View Speech

View all Lee Anderson (RUK - Ashfield) contributions to the debate on: Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 05 Oct 2020
Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

"I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention, and I totally agree that more advice should be readily available for the victims of these horrid crimes.

The scheme has seen many recent successes, including in relation to a 28-year-old male from Leeds who was found guilty of rape in 2019. …..."
Lee Anderson - View Speech

View all Lee Anderson (RUK - Ashfield) contributions to the debate on: Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 05 Oct 2020
Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

"My hon. Friend is quite right: sometimes it is the easy option to put a case through a magistrates court rather than a Crown court. I completely agree, and I want our judiciary system to take the harder option in future to ensure that such vile crimes are put through …..."
Lee Anderson - View Speech

View all Lee Anderson (RUK - Ashfield) contributions to the debate on: Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 05 Oct 2020
Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

"I completely agree once again that the sentence must fit the crime. The unduly lenient sentence scheme is tailored for such incidents, and I hope that it has been referred to the Attorney General.

Edi Gomes in Nottinghamshire was sentenced to 240 hours of unpaid work and was then back …..."
Lee Anderson - View Speech

View all Lee Anderson (RUK - Ashfield) contributions to the debate on: Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
Written Question
Attorney General: Public Inquiries
Tuesday 30th June 2020

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, if she will publish the (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory public inquiries being undertaken by her Department.

Answered by Michael Ellis

The Attorney General’s Office is not currently undertaking any statutory or non-statutory public inquiries.