Labour is right to ask why the Government is dragging its heels on forcing criminals to appear in court for sentence.
Thomas Cashman’s cowardly refusal to face the family of Olivia Pratt-Korbel has highlighted a glaring legal loophole.
Instead of protecting the rights of victims it gives offenders the right to hide in their cells when sentence is delivered.
As Keir Starmer points out, the law could be changed quickly and easily. All that is needed is an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill currently going through Parliament.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has signalled he is favour but has so far given no indication of when or how he intends to do it.
As it stands, families cannot hide from the pain caused by crime but criminals can hide from justice.
That is why those who murder, rape or inflict terror should be compelled to appear in the dock to face the consequences of their actions.
The longer Raab fails to act, the more he prolongs the misery for victims and families.
Gift of peace
This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
During the talks Tony Blair famously said the “hand of history” was on the shoulders of all those round the negotiating table.
A quarter of a century on, the treaty has stood the test of history.
It ended to the worst of the Troubles and paved the way to co-operation and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Protecting the peace requires constant vigilance. The shadow of terrorism has not been completely lifted. It is also disappointing the will is not there to resume power sharing.
The Belfast Agreement needs constant nurturing if its legacy is to be secured.
Have a cracker
We wish all our readers a Happy Easter.
Here’s hoping you spend more time cracking open chocolate goodies than you do siting in chock-a-block traffic jams.
