Robert Buckland - UK Parliament official portraits 2017. For far too long, our justice system has been beset by complex and confusing laws, which the public often feel fail in their most essential aims – to keep them safe and properly punish offenders. In my role as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, I have set out a plan for a radical sentencing overhaul to crack down on crime and protect the public by ensuring that dangerous criminals are kept in prison for longer. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill seeks to equip the police with the powers and tools they need to protect themselves and the public, while overhauling sentencing laws to keep serious sexual and violent offenders behind bars for longer, and placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation to better help offenders to turn their lives around and prevent further crimes.