Pub and travel bans proposed under sentencing rule changes

The justice secretary said the changes would widen the range of sentencing options available to the courts

People convicted of crimes in England and Wales could find themselves barred from going to pubs, concerts and sports matches under changes to sentencing rules being planned by the government.

The reforms would allow courts imposing non-custodial terms to have the power to hand out driving and travel bans too, and order offenders to remain in specific areas.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said criminals must have “their freedom restricted” in society if they are serving community sentences, but some have raised concerns about how the new measures will be imposed.

A recent review recommended fewer custodial sentences for less serious offences as a way of dealing with overcrowded prisons.

Courts are currently able to impose limited bans on people convicted of certain offences – for instance, someone found guilty of violence at football matches can be banned from all stadiums.

But the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) says it plans to introduce legislation to allow more restrictions to be imposed by judges and magistrates “as a form of punishment for any offence in any circumstance”.

It means offenders could face additional penalties unrelated to their specific offence, with those who break the rules being taken back to court.

Offenders released from prison who are supervised by the Probation Service could also face similar restrictions under the plans – as well as more mandatory drug testing, even if they do not have a history of misuse.

Former Old Bailey Criminal Judge Wendy Joseph KC told BBC Breakfast “a number of really good results” could come from the scheme, but that “it’s not going to work unless its properly funded” and carefully thought through.

“The idea you can keep people out of pubs might be putting a lot of weight on people who run pubs,” she said.

She added that if the scheme was introduced, “you’ve got to find a way of catching the people who breach the rules, and punish them”.

Some in the hospitality sector voiced similar concerns about how to practically implement more widespread bans on going to pubs and gigs.

Michael Kill, head of the Night Time Industries Association, said ministers should work with the sector to ensure the scheme “does not unfairly burden venues that are already struggling to survive”.

“While we fully recognise the intent behind these measures, they cannot simply be imposed on a whim,” he said, adding there must be sufficient resource, planning and co-operation between the industry and government.

The MoJ said the plans were part of wider sentencing reforms aimed at deterring crime and ensuring prisons never ran out of places for dangerous offenders.

The government began releasing thousands of inmates early, soon after coming to power in 2024, saying they had inherited a prison system from the previous Conservative government that was on the brink of running out of spaces.

Mahmood said widening the range of sentencing options short of prison time was part of Labour’s plan to cut crime and make streets safer.

“When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished,” she said.

“Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there too.”

The latest announcement comes in the wake of the MoJ giving details of its plan to place tighter restrictions on serious sexual and violent criminals when they are released from prison, forcing them stay in a specific area.

The government said limiting offenders to a geographical zone, policed by tougher monitoring and enhanced tagging, would give victims greater peace of mind.

Under reforms announced in May, some prisoners in England and Wales will now be eligible for release after serving a third of their sentence.

But this – as well as the early releases – have faced criticism for placing further pressure on the probation service and police forces.

The MoJ said new technology will free up the administrative burden on probation officers to increase supervision of the most dangerous offenders.

It says at least 1,300 new trainee probation officers will be recruited into the service this year, and that the service will receive a £700m funding boost by 2028.