Justice shouldn't have to wait for a criminal's permission to be served. For too long, the UK legal system let killers choose whether they’d face the families they destroyed. They stayed in their cells, hid from the impact of their crimes, and left grieving parents looking at an empty chair. That changes today.
Olivia’s Law is now the law of the land. It’s a massive shift in how sentencing works in England and Wales. Judges finally have the teeth to force offenders into the dock. If a criminal refuses to show up, they’ll face an extra two years behind bars. It's about time.
Why the law had to change
The push for this legislation started with a tragedy that shook the country. In August 2022, nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot dead in her own home in Liverpool. The man responsible, Thomas Cashman, was eventually convicted of her murder. But when it came time for his sentencing, he didn’t show up. He stayed in his cell while Olivia’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, read her victim impact statement to a room that didn't include the killer.
Cashman isn't the only one who pulled this stunt. We saw it with Lucy Letby, the nurse who murdered seven babies. We saw it with the killers of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. These people used their final moments in the legal spotlight to exert one last bit of control over their victims. It was a cowardly loophole. People were rightfully furious.
The government faced intense pressure. Families argued that the sentencing hearing is a vital part of the justice process. It's the moment where the full weight of the crime is laid bare. When an offender skips it, they rob the victims' families of their day in court. They turn a moment of accountability into a final act of defiance.
How the new powers actually work
The law isn't just a suggestion anymore. Under the new rules, judges can order prison officers to use "reasonable force" to get a convict into the courtroom. This isn't just about dragging someone into a room, though. It’s about the legal consequences of resisting.
If an offender refuses to attend their sentencing without a "genuine" reason, the judge can tack on an extra two years to their sentence. That’s a significant deterrent. It applies to any crime punishable by life imprisonment, which covers the most serious offenses like murder, rape, and GBH.
- Judges now have the mandate to insist on presence.
- Prison staff are protected when using force to comply with a court order.
- The two-year penalty acts as a baseline for non-compliance.
There’s a balance here, of course. The law allows for exceptions if the judge decides there’s a valid reason for absence—like severe illness. But the "I don't feel like it" or "it'll be too emotional" excuses are officially dead.
Shifting the power back to victims
Legal experts often talk about the "theatre of the law." It sounds clinical, but for a family like the Korbels, it’s deeply personal. Seeing the person who took your child look you in the eye while you describe your pain isn't about revenge. It’s about the truth. It's about making sure the offender cannot escape the reality of what they’ve done.
For years, the argument against forcing attendance was that it might cause a scene. Critics worried about disruptive defendants shouting over the judge or turning the hearing into a circus. Honestly, that’s a weak argument. We have ways to manage a rowdy courtroom. We didn't have a way to manage a coward hiding in a cell.
This law puts the victim at the center of the process again. It recognizes that the sentencing hearing isn't just for the record books. It’s a human moment. Cheryl Korbel campaigned tirelessly for this because she knew that as long as criminals could hide, the justice system was failing the very people it's supposed to protect.
The practical reality of reasonable force
People ask what "reasonable force" looks like in a prison setting. It’s not a free-for-all. Prison officers are trained in "Control and Restraint" (C&R) techniques. These are designed to move someone safely from point A to point B even if they’re resisting.
The goal isn't to hurt the prisoner. The goal is compliance. Before this law, prison governors were often hesitant to use force for something like a court appearance because of the risk of litigation or injury. Olivia’s Law gives them the legal cover they need. If a judge orders it, the staff must do it.
It also sends a message to the prison population. The days of treating a court date like an optional social invitation are over. You go because the law says you go.
What happens if they still disrupt the hearing
Let's say the prisoner is forced into the dock and then starts screaming or acting out. The judge still has the power to remove them. But the point is that they were made to hear the beginning. They were made to face the court.
In many cases, once a defendant realizes they have no choice and that resisting will only add years to their time, they quiet down. The bluff is called. Most of these high-profile cowards aren't looking for a physical fight with a team of guards; they’re just looking for a way to stay in control. This law takes that control away.
Looking at the bigger picture of legal reform
Olivia’s Law is part of a broader trend of making the UK justice system more "victim-focused." We’re seeing more support for those giving evidence and more transparency in how sentences are calculated. But this specific change is perhaps the most symbolic.
It closes a gap between what the public expects from justice and what the law actually provided. Most people were shocked to find out that criminals could skip their sentencing in the first place. It felt like a glitch in the system. Now, that glitch is patched.
The next step for the Ministry of Justice is ensuring that every court and every prison in the country is on the same page. This shouldn't be a "zip code lottery" where some judges enforce it and others don't. The mandate is clear.
If you’re following this because you care about how our courts run, keep an eye on the first few cases where this is applied. We’ll soon see exactly how aggressive judges are willing to be with that two-year penalty.
You can stay informed by checking the latest updates on the Ministry of Justice website. If you want to support victim advocacy, look into organizations like Victim Support which help families navigate the trauma of the trial process. Justice is finally starting to look like it should. Don't let the conversation stop here.
