Gareth Johnson MP: Let's balance the scales of justice

Gareth Johnson is the Member of Parliament for Dartford.

This week I am presenting my Ten Minute Rule Bill to the House.  It is entitled “Unduly Lenient Sentences (Right of Appeal) Bill”.  It seeks to tackle one of the most unjust aspects of the entire Criminal Justice System.  The purpose of the Bill is to redress the inequality of the defence being able to appeal against any sentence and yet, in the vast majority of cases, the prosecution are prevented from appealing.

Currently the prosecution is unable to appeal any sentence imposed by the courts except for a small number of the most serious offences. It cannot appeal against any sentence imposed at the Magistrates Court or Youth Court, nor can it appeal against most sentences imposed at the Crown Court. The defence, however, can appeal against any sentence imposed at the Magistrates and Youth Court automatically and through ‘Leave of a Judge’ against any sentence imposed at the Crown Court.

This system should exist to protect victims and their families and yet, if a sentence given to a defendant in a Magistrates Court or Youth Court is felt to be too lenient by the victim or the prosecutor there is absolutely nothing that can be done. Similarly for most cases dealt with at the Crown Court.

Gareth Johnson MP: Great news from Kent - a vote to allow the first grammar school expansion for 50 years

Gareth Johnson is the MP for Dartford

I am delighted that Kent County Council has voted to allow the first expansion of a Grammar School in this country for around fifty years. It makes complete sense to allow good schools to expand whether this is on a "satellite campus" as in this case or on an existing site.

Common sense suggests that children will learn more when placed with children of a similar academic ability. Indeed streaming in schools in now common place. I cannot understand why it is perfectly acceptable to some to stream within a school yet not between schools.Clearly, Grammar Schools are not for every child, some children flourish in the academic surroundings that they offer whereas other children are more suited to a vocational setting. It is this diversity that Grammar Schools help to provide. They prevent us from having a ‘one size fits all’ education system.

It is also the case that Grammar Schools allow for greater levels of social mobility. I found that my working class background was very typical in the Grammar School I attended and the excellent education it provided helped many of my classmates to achieve success.