UK Justice Secretary Alex Norris maintains legal fight over nationality-based conviction data

Alex Norris, the newly appointed Justice Secretary under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, is maintaining a legal challenge to prevent the publication of criminal conviction data categorized by offender nationality.

The dispute originated from a Freedom of Information request by the Centre for Migration Control (CMC), which sought conviction figures for England and Wales between 2018 and 2024, broken down by nationality and specific offenses such as murder and rape. While the Information Commissioner’s Office ruled that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) should release the data, the department appealed the decision to the First-tier Tribunal, citing costs and privacy risks.

The MoJ’s refusal to release the figures has drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy and Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick, who have accused the government of withholding sensitive information. The CMC is currently crowdfunding for legal representation to contest the appeal.