Suella Braverman blasts two-tier sentencing row as ‘ugly stain’ on Britain’s history: ‘Egregious!’

"Imagine if you [Jacob Rees-Mogg] and I stood accused and were convicted of the same crime. By virtue of our different ethnicity, faith and gender, we'd have been treated differently in the eyes of the law," Braverman said.

The Sentencing Council has suspended controversial guidelines that were due to come into force on Tuesday following significant political backlash.

The guidelines would have advised judges that pre-sentence reports would "usually be necessary" before sentencing individuals from ethnic, cultural or faith minorities, alongside other groups including young adults and women.

The independent body initially refused to revise the guidelines despite criticism, but has now delayed their implementation.

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Braverman described the Sentencing Council's decision as "an embarrassing U-turn just days after facing down the Justice Secretary."

She argued the guidelines would have created an "ugly stain on the rich history of Britain's judiciary."

"When it comes to affording greater weight to ethnicity or gender, that crosses a line and becomes wholly unfair and inequitable," Braverman stated.

The Council had previously insisted its guidelines "did not require revision" following a "full public consultation."

Braverman went further by calling for the Sentencing Council to be abolished entirely.

"The Sentencing Council should be scrapped and the responsibility of sentencing guidelines should be taken back to ministers," she said.

She criticised the Council as "largely unknown individuals who are unelected" yet "wield great power in our justice system."

"It's only right those decisions should be absorbed into the executive, allowing ministers to be held directly to account," Braverman added.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood had previously described the proposed guidance as "unacceptable" and amounting to "differential treatment before the law."

When the Sentencing Council refused her initial request to reverse the guidelines, Mahmood threatened legislative action.

On Monday, she confirmed plans to introduce legislation to block the guidelines, stating: "Equality before the law is the backbone of public confidence in our justice system."

The Prime Minister had also voiced opposition and was "disappointed" the body had not shelved the guidance earlier.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick had also criticised the Sentencing Council's guidance, describing it as an example of "two-tier justice".

He argued it would lead to "blatant bias" against Christians and straight white men.

Jenrick further claimed the guidelines would make "a custodial sentence less likely for those from an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community".

The Sentencing Council had denied this interpretation of their guidelines.