Cowardly killers who refuse to come into court to be sentenced will face extra punishment – but only for a few weeks.

Labour is bringing in measures, first announced last year, which will allow judges to impose additional penalties on convicted criminals who fail to come into the dock.

The Ministry of Justice described the new measures as 'tough new prison punishments', but the maximum period they can be imposed ranges between ten days and 12 weeks.

Judges will be able to order offenders are kept in solitary confinement in their cells for up to three weeks.

The measures will also allow inmates to be stripped of prison privileges – such as access to the gym or a TV in their cell – for up to 12 weeks.

They could also face a 27-day ban on social visits in prison, which will not apply to children who wish to visit a parent in jail.

Alternatively, prison visits could be restricted to once every four weeks for a period of up to 12 weeks.

Judges could opt for shorter periods than those set out in the new legislation. 

Offenders aged 18 to 20 held in young offender institutions will face shorter punishments, such as ten days' confinement to their cell and 21 days' loss of privileges.

The powers in the Victims and Courts Act, published in detail on Thursday and set to come into force next year, follow a series of high-profile cases where murderers and other criminals refused to leave their cells to be told their fate.

In January last year Southport killer Axel Rudakubana refused to come into the dock as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court.

He was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years for the 'sadistic' murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, in 2024.

Rudakubana was moved from jail to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital in July this year. 

Likewise, Jordan McSweeney who murdered aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, 35, in east London in 2022 refused to attend his sentencing hearing. He was handed a minimum tariff of 38 years, later cut to 33 by the Court of Appeal.

So, too, did drug dealer Thomas Cashman who murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel when she was caught in crossfire in her home in Liverpool in 2022. Cashman was handed a minimum tariff of 42 years.

The Government has already changed the law so offenders who refuse to attend sentencing can face a fine or up to two years' additional imprisonment for contempt of court.

But for murderers already facing decades behind bars, extra jail time offers little deterrent.

The new powers aim to make their initial weeks in jail after conviction less comfortable if they refuse to attend their sentencing.

Prisons minister Catherine McKinnell said: 'Criminals should not be able to pick and choose when they face justice.

'Refusing to turn up to sentencing is an insult to victims and their families, and offenders must face the consequences.

'We committed to change this and we've already strengthened the law so offenders can be ordered into court.

'Now we're going further, giving judges tougher punishments for those who still refuse – from being confined to their cells for weeks to losing prison privileges and visits.'

Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman, said: 'Today's announcement reflects the tireless efforts of victims' families who refused to accept that offenders could simply opt out of facing justice.

'I know how offenders' refusal to attend sentencing hearings compounds trauma and robs families of one of the very few moments of accountability in the justice process.

'It is now essential that these powers are used consistently by courts and prisons, so families receive the justice and accountability they deserve.'

The measures will also apply to offenders whose disruptive behaviour results in their removal from the courtroom.

Farah Naz, Miss Aleena's aunt, has previously urged ministers to allow sentencing hearings to be broadcast in a criminal's prison cell if they refuse to leave, and for CCTV to be installed so families can watch the offender's reaction to their sentence.

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said: 'These reforms are welcome, but questions remain over whether the Government could have gone much further.

'Every victim deserves justice, and the Government must ensure those who refuse to face their victims' families at sentencing receive the toughest possible punishment.'

The previous Conservative government published a Bill in 2024 which would have introduced similar powers but it was abandoned due to the General Election being called.