Prisons and Courts Bill dropped from Queen’s Speech – Lib Dem response

Following the failure of the government to put forward a Prisons and Courts Bill, Liberal Democrat Justice spokesperson Jonathan Marks has seized on an open letter by the Justice Secretary today which made no mention of the bill being axed. Jonathan Marks, who will continue to call for prison improvement and reform, said: “The Prisons and Courts Bill was a flagship piece of legislation for the last government but has been unceremoniously dropped from this Queen’s Speech. The crisis in our prisons may have dropped out of headlines but remains a huge problem. "Our prisons are hangovers from the Victorian era in need of urgent upgrading and we must get a grip on the numbers being sent to prison. Overcrowding has lead to violence, self-harm and deaths – this cannot be allowed to continue. "This was a key piece of legislation that would have made our prisons and courts fit for the 21st century but it is clear that this Conservative Government is too hobbled to introduce any radical legislation. The lack of ambition shown is likely to be a hallmark of this government, the only question is how long it will survive.”