Equal Opportunities

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 9 November 2022.

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Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 3:08, 9 November 2022

Thank you for that very important question. Yes, I'm aware of the Manchester report. I've started reading through it and it makes very, very grim reading indeed. It is something that I know the members of the judiciary are very concerned about, and I know that it is something where there are efforts to seek how to address it.

It is not an easy issue to address within a justice system that works in this particular structure and the way in which it operates in conjunction with the legal profession. It's certainly the case that everyone in contact with the justice system deserves an equal opportunity to access the support and the help they need when they are engaged with the justice system. I mentioned earlier, when we were talking about the Cardiff University publication on the criminal justice system, the high rates, almost one of the highest rates in Europe, of imprisonment of those from ethnic backgrounds as opposed to white backgrounds. When you see that data in conjunction with the Manchester report, et cetera, you cannot help but say that there is an institutionalised racism within our justice system.

One of the ways we seek to address this is by working with the criminal justice board for Wales partners, His Majesty's Prison Service, the courts service and policing in Wales to develop the criminal justice in Wales anti-racism action plan, which was published in September, and which the Minister for Social Justice has played such a major role in. This sets out our plan to tackle racism proactively, with a particular focus on staff diversity and training. But there is a long way to go. This also features as part of the evidential base, I believe, in terms of the need for the devolution of justice as well. That is something that is being monitored very closely and that we are raising in opportunities that we have with other law officers and with the Ministry of Justice.