Women’s groups criticise move to delay sentencing in England and Wales

Government accused of letting down victims as full prisons mean convicted criminals will spend longer on bail

Victims of crime in England and Wales are being let down by a government that has failed to provide adequate resources to the criminal justice system, women's groups have said, after it emerged that sentencing hearings of convicted criminals currently on bail - including rapists and burglars - were to be delayed because prisons are full.

It has been reported that the senior presiding judge for England and Wales, Lord Justice Edis, issued the guidance on a private call with senior crown court judges. A government source told the Guardian it applied to those who had been on bail throughout the court process and had, therefore, already been assessed as lower risk.