Shabana Mahmood warned of risk to pregnant women in halting Sentencing Council guidelines

Exclusive: Stopping pre-sentencing reports could put more pregnant people behind bars, groups tell justice minister

Shabana Mahmood risks putting more pregnant women behind bars through her bill to prevent new guidelines which highlighted the need for pre-sentencing reports based on different personal characteristics" including age, sex and ethnicity, charities have warned.

The justice secretary introduced the bill as emergency legislation after the Sentencing Council's guidelines provoked claims of a two-tier" justice system, with Mahmood saying she would not stand for differential treatment before the law like this". The council suspended the guidance hours before it was due to take effect in response to the backlash.