'Olivia's Law' gets final approval, forcing criminals to be present for sentencing hearings
Britain Passes a Law Requiring Criminals to Face Their Sentencing. The Courtroom Now Has a Full House.
What Happened
The UK Parliament has given final approval to 'Olivia's Law,' legislation that compels convicted criminals to physically attend their sentencing hearings. The law is named after Olivia Pratt-Korbel, a nine-year-old girl shot dead in Liverpool in 2022, whose killer, Thomas Cashman, refused to appear in court for his sentencing. Previously, judges had limited powers to force attendance; this law closes that gap.
Historical Context
The campaign for this law was years in the making. Cashman was sentenced in June 2023 in absentia after refusing to leave his cell — a moment that shocked the British public and Olivia's family, who had to watch justice delivered to an empty dock. Comparable legislation already exists in other jurisdictions: U.S. federal courts have long held the power to compel defendant presence at sentencing. England and Wales were something of an outlier in lacking robust enforcement mechanisms. Laws named after victims of crime — 'Sarah's Law' (2011, sex offender disclosure), 'Clare's Law' (2014, domestic violence disclosure) — have a track record in the UK of producing durable, practical legal reform rather than mere symbolic gestures.
What's In Your Control
Reading the actual text of the law if you want to understand what it does and doesn't cover. Writing to your MP if you believe the law doesn't go far enough — or goes too far. Avoiding the urge to treat this as a political football; it passed with broad cross-party support.
Does This Require Action?
Awareness only for most readers. If you work in criminal justice, law, or victim advocacy in the UK, this is directly relevant to your practice. For everyone else: a law was passed, a gap was closed, a family's advocacy mattered.
Source: BBC
