August 24, 2025
By Peter Omopo
The United Kingdom has announced sweeping new sentencing powers that will restrict criminals from accessing pubs, concerts, sporting events, and even travel, in a bid to cut crime and strengthen community safety.
The measures, unveiled on Sunday as part of the government’s Plan for Change, will allow judges to impose stricter conditions such as driving curbs, travel bans, and restriction zones that confine offenders to specific areas.
According to a statement published on the UK government website, the reforms are designed to deter reoffending and make Britain’s streets safer.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said widening the range of punishments available to judges was key to restoring public confidence in the justice system.
“Widening the range of punishments available to judges is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer,” Mahmood said. “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.”
Until now, judges could only impose limited bans such as football stadium restrictions for match-day offences. The government plans to expand the law so that such restrictions can apply to any offence, giving courts more flexibility in tailoring punishments.
The statement further warned that offenders who violate the restrictions face being taken back to court or returned to prison, depending on their sentences.
The reforms also form part of a broader investment in the UK’s correctional system. Since July 2024, more than 2,400 new prison places have been created, with £7 billion allocated to deliver 14,000 additional spaces in response to a rising prison population.
Funding for the Probation Service is also set to increase by up to £700 million by 2028/29, up from its current annual budget of about £1.6 billion.
Government officials said the measures would ensure community sentences are tougher and prisons never run out of capacity for dangerous offenders.
