This morning, King Charles III set out the Government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming Parliamentary session. The King’s Speech, written by the Government, sets out the legislation and draft legislation ministers anticipate passing over the next year. Overall, 42 bills and draft bills were announced in the speech, of which five are likely to be of particular interest to the voluntary sector working in criminal justice.

Crime and Policing Bill

“Legislation will be brought forward to strengthen community policing, give the police greater powers to deal with anti-social behaviour”

The Government describes this Bill as delivering on its mission to halve serious violence and increase confidence in policing and the criminal justice system. Whilst giving the police greater powers, the Government says it will also introduce reforms to ensure law enforcement agencies perform to the highest standards and focus on front-line policing.

The measures in this Bill will include expanding the powers of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to intervene in failing police forces. It will also bring in higher mandatory national vetting standards across police forces.

To address anti-social behaviour, the legislation will introduce new “Respect Orders” for adults who are persistently convicted of offences. In addition, the Bill will create a duty for local partners to co-operate to tackle anti-social behaviour, with every local authority having an anti-social behaviour lead.

The Bill will contain provisions to create a new specific offence of assaulting a shop worker and introduce stronger measures to reduce “low level shoplifting”.

Another focus of this piece of legislation will be knife crime, with measures to ban “ninja swords and other lethal blades”. Other provisions will aim to prevent young people being drawn into crime and gangs by strengthening the law around child criminal exploitation, and creating the arrangements needed for local Young Futures prevention partnerships to bring together services to support young people considered to be at risk of offending.

Moreover, provisions will look to ensure the police have the capability to “respond robustly to domestic abuse, rape and other sexual offences”, as well as changing the law to improve the police response to spiking.

Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill

“Legislation will be brought forward to [...] strengthen support for victims”

The Government describes this Bill as delivering on its promise to create a justice system that “puts the needs of victims first”. It contains provisions to reduce delays in the criminal courts, and ensure victims are able to “get the support they deserve”.

Measures in this Bill include strengthening the powers for the Victims Commissioner “to ensure they are empowered to hold the system to account for the needs of victims not being met”. It will also require people convicted of offences to attend their sentencing hearings.

Further provisions in the Bill will restrict parental responsibility for people convicted of child sexual offences and implement restrictions on people convicted of sexual offences from changing their name.

Mental Health Bill

“Ministers will legislate to modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the twenty first century”

The Government describes this Bill as delivering on its manifesto commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983, so that “patients have greater choice, autonomy, rights, and support, and make sure all patients are treated with dignity and respect throughout their treatment”.

Measures in this Bill will include removing police stations and prisons as places of safety under the Mental Health Act, and supporting people with convictions who have severe mental health problems to access the care they need as quickly as possible. Provisions will also look to improve the management of patients subject to a restrictions order, for the purposes of public protection.

Renters’ Rights Bill

“Legislation will be introduced to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession”

The Government describe this Bill as “transforming the experience of private renting”. This will be done by giving people who rent greater security and stability in their tenancy so they can stay in their homes for longer and reduce the risk of homelessness.

The Bill will abolish section 21 “no fault evictions” with new clear and expanded possession grounds introduced so landlords can regain their properties when they need to. Measures will also aim to give tenants greater rights and protections by empowering them to challenge rent increases designed to force them to vacate the property and end the practice of prospective tenants having to bid for rental properties.

Other provisions will apply a “Decent Homes Standard” to the private rented sector, support quicker, cheaper resolution when there are disputes to prevent them escalating to court proceedings, and make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants in receipt of benefits or with children when letting their property.

Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill

“Legislation on race equality will be published in draft to ensure the full right to equal pay in law”

The Government describes this Bill as implementing its manifesto commitment to put into law the full right to equal pay for racially minoritised people and people with disabilities, and to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting.

The measures aim to make is easier for people to bring unequal pay claims, by placing these rights in law. The pay reporting requirements will be introduced for larger employers (with over 250 employees), similarly to the existing gender pay reporting requirements.

What next

Following these announcements, Clinks will continue to work with the Ministry of Justice and other departments to ensure the voice of the voluntary sector it heard, and to champion the expertise the sector can bring as policy is developed and proposals refined.

If you would like to discuss any of these proposed pieces of legislation with Clinks, or our wider policy and influencing work, you can get in touch by emailing the Policy team.

To find out more about these Bills, or any other announced in the King’s Speech, you can read the Government’s background briefings notes on the speech.

Image Credit: Copyright House of Lords 2020 / Photography by Roger Harris - House of Lords first hybrid proceedings 8 June 2020 | Flickr