England: Southern judges’ sentences more likely to be appealed as unduly lenient

Analysis conducted by the Labour Party found that 24 per cent of eligible cases in the south were referred to the Court of Appeal at the behest of the attorney general, compared to 19 per cent in the north and the Midlands.

The proportion of cases referred from the Welsh courts was even lower at nine per cent.

Dame Vera Baird, the former victims’ commissioner and solicitor general, has suggested the disparity could be a result of “tougher and harder” judges in the north of England compared to the south, The Sunday Telegraph reports.

She said: “There may be better judges in the North who get it right and who are not unduly lenient. They might be tough and hard, being northerners.”

Emily Thornberry, Labour’s shadow attorney general, said the figures revealed a “postcode lottery”.

“For the victims, families and communities who put their faith in this scheme, it is unacceptable that their chances of success are being affected by where in the country they live,” she said.

The new analysis comes as Labour aims to position itself as “the party of law and order” ahead of the next general election.