Plans for new sentencing guidelines for offenders from minorities have been delayed after a row over claims of a “two-tier” justice system.
Ministers had promised legislation to overturn the guidance and have not ruled out ultimately scrapping the council, which produced the document, after it initially ignored requests from the Justice Secretary to change course.
The Sentencing Council said the changes were “necessary and appropriate” but that it would not implement them while a Bill was imminent.
They had been due to come into effect on Tuesday but Shabana Mahmood announced she would introduce draft laws to the Commons to block the guidelines on the same date.
On Monday evening, the council said in a statement: “The Lord Chancellor and the Chairman of the Sentencing Council met this morning. At that meeting, the Lord Chancellor indicated her intention to introduce legislation imminently that would have the effect of rendering the section on ‘cohorts’ in the guideline unlawful.
“The Lord Chancellor also shared details of that draft legislation as it is likely to be introduced. The Chairman indicated that the Council would not introduce a guideline when there is a draft Bill due for imminent introduction that would make it unlawful.
“On that basis, the Council, an independent statutory body, has chosen to delay the in-force date of the guideline, pending such legislation taking effect.”