In July 2024, the government committed to new legislation requiring convicted people to attend their sentencing hearings. As of May 2025, the proposed measures were incorporated into the Victims and Courts Bill. 

These proposed new powers to compel attendance at sentencing hearings, as well as the introduction of prison sanctions for non-compliance, have raised serious concerns around increased use of force, risks to vulnerable individuals in the early days of custody, and the potential for greater violence and instability in prisons.

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