§ Dr. CableTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will review the training received by judges in order to encourage consistent sentencing. [34658]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonJudicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) which is an independent non-departmental public body. It is chaired by Lord Justice Waller.
All judges hearing criminal cases attend a residential induction course upon appointment and regular residential continuation seminars thereafter organised by the JSB. These include lectures and discussions on sentencing, one of the objectives of which is to encourage consistency. Recorders and Circuit Judges also attend annual circuit based seminars specifically devoted to sentencing issues. The content of the training received at these courses is kept under constant review by the Criminal Committee of the JSB, and updated to take in current issues where necessary.