Crime: Judiciary reluctant to tackle racism

Government plans to force judges to hand out tougher sentences to people convicted of racially motivated crimes have received a boost from new evidence showing that the judiciary is reluctant to take on racism.

A study conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shows that judges only use their discretionary power to add time to sentences, where racism has been a motive, in 20 per cent of cases.

The paper shows that between April 1996 and March 1997 the CPS identified 937 cases of harassment or violence where the perpetrator was acting partially or wholly out of racist bigotry. But in only 181 of those cases did judges indicate that the sentence was increased as a result of this information.

The figures will add weight to the case for tougher sentences for racially motivated crimes to become obligatory. Government proposals, which are expected to form part of Home Secretary Jack Straw's Crime and Disorder Bill, will be published within weeks.