Raab seeks to force convicts to appear at sentencing - BBC headline

[i_ateallthepies]

It sickens me that any convicted criminal is ever allowed to choose whether they appear at sentencing.

[Glyn_Wigley]

If they want to stay in jail instead of having a day out, sod 'em. It's not exactly going to be a crime deterrent is it?

[i_ateallthepies]

It is part of the process that puts them in jail and if they wish to not attend that is reason enough in my view to make sure that they do.

[normal rules]

Sometimes, having a convicted individual dragged before the court gives victims some sense of justice and possible closure.

[danumdon]

Sometimes, having a convicted individual dragged before the court gives victims some sense of justice and possible closure.

Agreed, it should also reinforce home to the perpetrator the seriousness of their crime so they can peruse at their leisure whilst they do their time.

[Usher down the wing.]

Sometimes, having a convicted individual dragged before the court gives victims some sense of justice and possible closure.

And sometimes it gives the criminal one final chance to laugh, swear or gesture to the victims or their family given they have ´nothing to lose’ once sentenced.

It’s a difficult call.

I’ll give you an extreme scenario.

You have a close family member brutalised then murdered. Having sat through the case & heard the jury pass a sentence of guilty, would you want to hear the sentence passed down in court when you could step outside & be told the sentence once this person was ‘taken down’ given the possibility of my first paragraph happening?

[danumdon]

There's always the possibility that they do something of that nature, i'm sue they would end up copping for a fat lip for their trouble as they are hauled down.

[Bentley Bullet]

There's always the possibility that they do something of that nature, i'm sue they would end up copping for a fat lip for their trouble as they are hauled down.

Shouldn't that be 'enormous lip'?

[mugnapper]

He needs to be careful as he may get accused of bullying