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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/14/philip-davies-claim-courts-favour-women-no-evidence-jean-corston
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| Philip Davies’ claim that courts favour women 'not backed by evidence' | |
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| Jean Corston, a Labour peer considered to be an authority on women in the justice system, has said there is no evidence to support Tory MP Philip Davies’ claim that women are treated leniently by the courts and prison service. | Jean Corston, a Labour peer considered to be an authority on women in the justice system, has said there is no evidence to support Tory MP Philip Davies’ claim that women are treated leniently by the courts and prison service. |
| Davies, who sits on the Commons justice committee, faced widespread criticism after it emerged he told a conference hosted by an anti-feminist group that the justice system discriminated against men. | Davies, who sits on the Commons justice committee, faced widespread criticism after it emerged he told a conference hosted by an anti-feminist group that the justice system discriminated against men. |
| The MP for Shipley, delivered a 45-minute speech at the International Conference on Men’s Issues, which was organised by the Justice for Men and Boys party (J4MB), claiming “feminist zealots really do want women to have their cake and eat it”. | The MP for Shipley, delivered a 45-minute speech at the International Conference on Men’s Issues, which was organised by the Justice for Men and Boys party (J4MB), claiming “feminist zealots really do want women to have their cake and eat it”. |
| The comments, disclosed by the Guardian, led the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to call for Davies’s membership of the Conservative party to be suspended and provoked a social media backlash, with women tweeting photos of themselves eating cake with the hashtag #letthemeatcake. | The comments, disclosed by the Guardian, led the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to call for Davies’s membership of the Conservative party to be suspended and provoked a social media backlash, with women tweeting photos of themselves eating cake with the hashtag #letthemeatcake. |
| My cake's crumbling like the patriarchy #letthemeatcake #feministzelot @PhilipDaviesMP pic.twitter.com/R4HPf9VD40 | My cake's crumbling like the patriarchy #letthemeatcake #feministzelot @PhilipDaviesMP pic.twitter.com/R4HPf9VD40 |
| There's no calming down this Madeira, thanks to @PhilipDaviesMP #letthemeatcake #cakenothate #feministzealot pic.twitter.com/g1IqIvdbTr | There's no calming down this Madeira, thanks to @PhilipDaviesMP #letthemeatcake #cakenothate #feministzealot pic.twitter.com/g1IqIvdbTr |
| Lady Corston, who wrote an influential report on vulnerable women in the criminal justice system in 2007, which went on to inform government policy on the matter, said there was indisputable evidence that women were treated by the courts more harshly. | Lady Corston, who wrote an influential report on vulnerable women in the criminal justice system in 2007, which went on to inform government policy on the matter, said there was indisputable evidence that women were treated by the courts more harshly. |
| “I’ll give you an example: a woman who was sentenced to life for a first offence of wounding with intent. That would never, never happen to a man. This kind of thing is still happening,” said Corston. | “I’ll give you an example: a woman who was sentenced to life for a first offence of wounding with intent. That would never, never happen to a man. This kind of thing is still happening,” said Corston. |
| The former chair of the parliamentary Labour party, the first woman to hold the role, said: “It is true that the number of women in prison are a fraction of those which are men. But generally women don’t commit crime in the way men do. There is indisputable evidence that women are treated by the courts more harshly.” | The former chair of the parliamentary Labour party, the first woman to hold the role, said: “It is true that the number of women in prison are a fraction of those which are men. But generally women don’t commit crime in the way men do. There is indisputable evidence that women are treated by the courts more harshly.” |
| Corston said in most countries there is a high men’s prison population and a low women’s population, but this does not reflect how women are treated in the courts. | Corston said in most countries there is a high men’s prison population and a low women’s population, but this does not reflect how women are treated in the courts. |
| “Generally a lot of the crimes women commit are associated with poverty; shoplifting for food for the children is not uncommon,” she said. | “Generally a lot of the crimes women commit are associated with poverty; shoplifting for food for the children is not uncommon,” she said. |
| “I know Philip Davies and obviously he’s entitled to his opinion, but I just want some evidence. If his evidence is there’s only 4,000 women in prison and 80,000 men, that doesn’t tell you that the courts are soft on women. | “I know Philip Davies and obviously he’s entitled to his opinion, but I just want some evidence. If his evidence is there’s only 4,000 women in prison and 80,000 men, that doesn’t tell you that the courts are soft on women. |
| “I’ve spent a lot longer in prisons than Philip Davies could dream of,” she said. “The world over, the pattern is the same. There are a small number of women who commit crimes, for which prison is the only reasonable answer, but they are a small number. | “I’ve spent a lot longer in prisons than Philip Davies could dream of,” she said. “The world over, the pattern is the same. There are a small number of women who commit crimes, for which prison is the only reasonable answer, but they are a small number. |
| Davies said his view was supported by official figures from the Ministry of Justice on the difference in sentencing between men and women. According to statistics provided by Davies, 34.7% of men in 2009 were sentenced to immediate custody for violence against the person, compared with 16.9% of women. In the same year, however, women were sentenced to an average of 17.9 months in prison for violence against the person, compared with 17.7 months for men. | Davies said his view was supported by official figures from the Ministry of Justice on the difference in sentencing between men and women. According to statistics provided by Davies, 34.7% of men in 2009 were sentenced to immediate custody for violence against the person, compared with 16.9% of women. In the same year, however, women were sentenced to an average of 17.9 months in prison for violence against the person, compared with 17.7 months for men. |
| The figures also showed that in 2009 61.7% of men were sentenced immediately for robbery, compared with 37.7% of women. | The figures also showed that in 2009 61.7% of men were sentenced immediately for robbery, compared with 37.7% of women. |
| Other figures provided by Davies show that in 2014, 33% of men were sentenced to custody for child neglect, compared with 15% of women. “These are the facts – the official figures – and they are stark and self-evident,” he said. | Other figures provided by Davies show that in 2014, 33% of men were sentenced to custody for child neglect, compared with 15% of women. “These are the facts – the official figures – and they are stark and self-evident,” he said. |
| “Baroness Corston is either therefore ill-informed or deliberately lying when she accuses me of lying. It certainly exposes her ignorance of the facts. Hopefully these figures will address that. I am very happy to debate with Baroness Corston on the justice gender gap at any time and place,” Davies said. | “Baroness Corston is either therefore ill-informed or deliberately lying when she accuses me of lying. It certainly exposes her ignorance of the facts. Hopefully these figures will address that. I am very happy to debate with Baroness Corston on the justice gender gap at any time and place,” Davies said. |
| However, the statistics do not provide details of individual offences. When a judge or magistrate hands down sentence they must consider a range of factors including harm caused, culpability and factors increasing or decreasing the seriousness of the crime. | However, the statistics do not provide details of individual offences. When a judge or magistrate hands down sentence they must consider a range of factors including harm caused, culpability and factors increasing or decreasing the seriousness of the crime. |
| Critics questioned Davies’s decision to share a platform with J4MB, which issues awards for “lying feminist of the month”, “toxic feminist of the month” and “whiny feminist of the month”, and promotes inflammatory articles on its website including a piece titled “13 reasons women lie about being raped”. | Critics questioned Davies’s decision to share a platform with J4MB, which issues awards for “lying feminist of the month”, “toxic feminist of the month” and “whiny feminist of the month”, and promotes inflammatory articles on its website including a piece titled “13 reasons women lie about being raped”. |
| J4MB says it intends to target the 20 most marginal Conservative constituencies in the next general election and has the income to fund its candidates’ £500 deposits. | J4MB says it intends to target the 20 most marginal Conservative constituencies in the next general election and has the income to fund its candidates’ £500 deposits. |
| The party is led and was founded by Mike Buchanan, a former business consultant who retired at 52 and launched campaigns such as the Anti-Feminism League and the Campaign for Merit in Business – which actively fights against initiatives to improve gender diversity in the boardroom. | The party is led and was founded by Mike Buchanan, a former business consultant who retired at 52 and launched campaigns such as the Anti-Feminism League and the Campaign for Merit in Business – which actively fights against initiatives to improve gender diversity in the boardroom. |
| Davies, a pro-Brexit campaigner who backed Andrea Leadsom for the Tory leadership, appeared alongside anti-feminism bloggers, including Herbert Purdy – who likened the activist Malala Yousafzai to Osama bin Laden and has written posts such as one titled “The exquisite beauty of patriarchy”. | Davies, a pro-Brexit campaigner who backed Andrea Leadsom for the Tory leadership, appeared alongside anti-feminism bloggers, including Herbert Purdy – who likened the activist Malala Yousafzai to Osama bin Laden and has written posts such as one titled “The exquisite beauty of patriarchy”. |
| He told the Guardian he did not believe his appearance at an event hosted by J4MB meant he subscribed to what the party stood for, adding: “I don’t think any of my colleagues will ever feel threatened by the political party concerned.” | He told the Guardian he did not believe his appearance at an event hosted by J4MB meant he subscribed to what the party stood for, adding: “I don’t think any of my colleagues will ever feel threatened by the political party concerned.” |
| • This article was amended on 15 August 2016. An earlier version described Jean Corston as a former Labour party chair; she is a former chair of the parliamentary Labour party. | • This article was amended on 15 August 2016. An earlier version described Jean Corston as a former Labour party chair; she is a former chair of the parliamentary Labour party. |