The UK Government has introduced new sentencing powers that will bar criminals from pubs, concerts, sports events, and even travel, as part of its Plan for Change announced today.
The policy, unveiled on Sunday, empowers judges to curtail offenders’ freedoms with driving limits, travel bans, and restriction zones confining them to specific areas.
According to a statement made available on the UK government website, the measures aim to strengthen community punishments, deter reoffending, and ensure safer streets across Britain.
The statement, which quoted Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, said, “Widening the range of punishments available to judges is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.
“When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there, too.
“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay.
“Rightly, the public expect the government to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Currently, judges can issue limited bans, such as football stadium restrictions for match-day offences.
However, the government plans to amend the law to allow such bans for any offence, in any context, to provide judges with greater flexibility to tailor punishments.
The statement added that offenders who violate the restrictions risk being hauled back to court or returned to prison, depending on their sentence.
“It will form part of wider reforms to sentencing to ensure punishments cut crime and prisons never again run out of places for dangerous offenders,” the statement read.
“Over 2,400 prison places have opened since July 2024, with the Government investing £7 billion to create a total of 14,000 as the prison population increases.
Investment in the Probation Service will also receive a huge boost with an increase of up to £700 million by 2028/29, up from the annual budget of around £1.6 billion today.”
