Shabana Mahmood has urged the Sentencing Council to reconsider new guidance which would take account of a criminal’s ethnicity before judges decide punishment.
The Justice Secretary added she will review its powers and change the law if necessary.
It comes as Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick says new sentencing guidelines have "blatant bias against Christians and straight white men."
Mahmood has penned an open letter to Lord Justice Davis requesting a reversal of the guidelines.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has penned an open letter to Lord Justice Davis requesting a reversal of the guidelines
PA
Her letter reads: "I must make clear my displeasure at the direction that this guideline took in recommending differing approaches for those from ethnic minorities, cultural minorities and/or from a faith minority background.
“The guideline states that a pre-sentence report will normally be considered necessary for these cohorts. A pre-sentence report can be instrumental in assisting courts in the determination of their sentence.
“But the access to one should not be determined by an offender’s ethnicity, culture or religion. As someone who is from an ethnic minority background myself, I do not stand for differential treatment before the law like this.
“For that reason, I am requesting that you reconsider the imposition of this guideline as soon as possible."
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Robert Jenrick has been left furious with the guidelines ROBERT JENRICKEarlier today, Tory MP Sir Ashley Fox has said Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood either "knew of this policy or she was asleep at the wheel" in relation to changes published by the Sentencing Council.
The MP for Bridgwater told the Commons: "This evidence of two-tiered justice is corrosive to public trust and confidence in the criminal justice system.
"Given that ministry of justice officials attend the Sentencing Council, either the Lord Chancellor (Ms Mahmood) knew of this policy or she was asleep at the wheel.”
Commons Leader Lucy Powell replied: "The Government has made absolutely clear that we disagree with the Sentencing Council’s guidance that they have issued.
"He will know that the process in developing that, and the consultation in developing that happened under his government’s watch. It absolutely did.
"And the Lord Chancellor has made absolutely clear her position and the Government’s position clear today, and that’s why she’s written to the Sentencing Council."
Meanwhile, Number 10 refused to "get ahead of" Shabana Mahmood writing to the Sentencing Council and awaiting their response when asked if the Prime Minister feels strongly enough to legislate to overturn the changes.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "The first step as the Justice Secretary set out is for her to write to the Sentencing Council. We await their response. I’m not going to get ahead of that process."
