Minister confirms plans for 24-hour courts to sentence rioting ‘criminal thugs’

A senior Home Office minister this morning confirmed reports that Britain’s courts may be made to sit for 24-hours-a-day in order to swiftly process and convict rioting thugs.

Dame Diana Johnson told Sky News this morning that the Government is determined to support the police and ensure that those terrorising the streets are arrested and “brought to book”.

The minister said there will be “consequences for people who are marauding in our streets, the thugs that are attacking our police and they will be held to account”.

Pressed on the specifics of 24-hour courts, Ms Johnson said that the Prime Minister has been “very clear” they will do “whatever it takes to make sure people can get through the court system”.

“We’ve already got people arrested and remanded into custody, it’s very clear we want to send that message to people: If you engage in this type of criminal thuggery on our streets, you will be held to account.

“You will go through the system, and that could include imprisonment or banning orders.”

She confirmed that, if necessary, courts will sit throughout the night in order to deal out justice.

Ms Johnson pointed to Sir Keir Starmer’s time as Director of Public Prosecutions the last time there were riots in Britain in 2011.

She noted that during his oversight of those legal proceedings, courts did sit throughout the night.

Ms Johnson said: “The PM is very well-versed, alongside the Lord Chancellor, in making sure we have available what’s needed”.

In 2011, the then-DPP said in an interview that he was not persuaded that the sentences in and of themselves were “the real issue”.

He argued: “For me it was the speed [of processing cases] that I think may have played some small part in bringing the situation back under control”.

“I don’t think [rioters] would have thought: ‘Oh well, am I going to get 12 months or 18 months?’ I don’t think people gamble on the length of sentence, particularly.

“They gamble on: ‘Am I going to get caught? Am I going to get sentenced and sent to prison?’ And if the answer is: ‘I’m now watching on the television some other people who had been caught 24 hours or 48 hours after they were on the streets with us’

“I think that’s a very powerful message.”

Dame Diana Johnson insisted there is sufficient room in the prisons system for any convicted rioters, despite the Government recently announcing mass-early releases in response to a capacity crisis.

Dame Diana said: “There are places available. The Lord Chancellor met with the PM, Home Secretary and myself this week, and reassured us that there was that capacity available in the prison estate”.

She added that the police had not requested any assistance from the army, and that they have the resources and powers to deal with the civil unrest.