Unforeseen critic
US courtroom star Judge Judy has waded into Britain’s row over controversial new sentencing guidelines — branding the changes “a mistake” and declaring the justice system “broken”.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain last week, the famously no-nonsense TV judge, who previously served as a Manhattan family court judge, was asked about new guidance for English and Welsh courts that advises judges to consider an offender’s ethnicity before deciding whether to send them to prison.
Judge Judy has intervened in the row over new sentencing guidance in England and Wales. It says a defendant's ethnicity should be considered by the courts when deciding whether to send them to prison.
The Justice Secretary believes it creates a "two-tier" system and wants it… pic.twitter.com/BIvTChJqgR
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 13, 2025
The guidelines, issued by the independent Sentencing Council and set to come into force in April, place greater emphasis on pre-sentence reports for certain groups, including people from ethnic minority or faith backgrounds. These reports are designed to offer judges more information about an offender’s background, potentially influencing sentencing decisions.
But Judge Judy—real name Judy Sheindlin, a US-qualified lawyer—wasn’t having it. In an interview on the ITV breakfast show, she said: “It’s a mistake. Sometimes well intentions people create bad law. I don’t know how those criteria you mentioned have anything to do with rehabilitation — I would be furious if I didn’t fit one of those criteria.”
She went on to say the current justice system is “broken”, and that making it “look more compassionate”, won’t solve the problem.
Her comments come as the UK government scrambles to respond to mounting criticism from the opposition benches. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has branded the guidance a “two-tier system” and is calling for the law to be changed so ministers can overrule the Sentencing Council.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has publicly distanced herself from the guidance. “There will never be a two-tier sentencing approach under my watch,” Mahmood insisted, promising to write to the council to express her “displeasure”.
Meanwhile, the Sentencing Council has defended its approach, arguing it helps judges understand and address the disadvantages certain groups face in the justice system. Statistics show that offenders from ethnic minority backgrounds consistently receive longer custodial sentences than white offenders for similar crimes.
Still, critics argue the changes could undermine the principle of equal treatment before the law — and Judge Judy appears to agree.