JUDGES are not above the law or criticism. In his attack on Home Secretary Michael Howard's tough sentencing policy, Lord Chief Justice Lord Taylor seems to wish they were.
He claims it is unjust of the Government to criticise judges for lenient sentencing when they had been prevented from taking previous convictions into account. But there have been public outcries as well about the way some judges have used softly-softly approaches to criminals.
Mr Howard's introduction of minimum sentences is responding to public demand for tougher action. Something is needed to improve the present situation in which criminals often seem to fare better than their victims. JUDGES are not above the law or criticism. In his attack on Home Secretary Michael Howard's tough sentencing policy, Lord Chief Justice Lord Taylor seems to wish they were.
He claims it is unjust of the Government to criticise judges for lenient sentencing when they had been prevented from taking previous convictions into account. But there have been public outcries as well about the way some judges have used softly-softly approaches to criminals.
Mr Howard's introduction of minimum sentences is responding to public demand for tougher action. Something is needed to improve the present situation in which criminals often seem to fare better than their victims.
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