The courts should be given the discretion in cases of serious crime, such as terrorism charges, to require the defendant’s appearance at sentencing hearings. It’s unfair for victims and relatives and a denial of natural justice for defendants not to be present for sentencing.
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We believe this is a reasonable consideration for relatives of victims, especially in cases where victim impact statements are read out at sentence hearings, otherwise what is the point? There is a public expectation that defendants should ‘face the music’. Closure for relatives, a wholly proportionate measure when balanced against the seriousness of the offence to insist on the defendant’s appearance. Victims should also be able to see the defendant’s face when sentence is passed down.