Like everyone in this country, I was horrified by last week's civil disturbances. As the chief executive of the UK's largest children's charity, I am clear that there are no excuses for the criminality that has taken place. All of those who have committed serious and violent offences - including young people - must receive sentences that reflect the gravity of their crimes. But whilst peace may have descended, my outrage continues at some of the reactions towards children and young people in response to the events.

Riot convictions have taken the prison population to another record high, leading to warnings of possible overcrowding from Labour and justice campaig...

Foreigners who took part in last week's riots will be deported to send a tough message to troublemakers, the Standard has learned....

It was said of the Bourbons that they learnt nothing and forgot nothing. The 18th century French monarchs paid the price for their intellectual inflexibility when they were overthrown following the French revolution in 1789.

A four-year prison sentence approximates to that given in cases of grievous bodily harm or for holding someone at knifepoint. Were these two men's actions comparable to those crimes? I would argue that they were not.

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PRESS ASSOCIATION -- The prison population is expected to hit record levels as increasing numbers of people are jailed for the recent looting and viol...

A third of Britons believe the government's response to the riots has been too hasty, a new poll by YouGov has find. And the vast majority - 70% - ...

Will the riots be David Cameron’s 9/11? In a Spectator interview with Fraser Nelson, Iain Duncan Smith agrees that this August might change the PM i...

A wise African proverb is doing the rounds at the moment: "If the young are not initiated into the village, they will burn it down just to feel its warmth". That pretty much sums up the riots of last week.

PRESS ASSOCIATION -- It is "just not justice" if those involved in rioting who are guilty of similar offences receive wildly different sentences, the ...

Suddenly, the Liberal Democrats have found their voices and decided evicting rioters and looters from their homes and thereby making things worse is probably not such a great idea after-all. The question remains however, what are they going to do about it?

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The last forty years has seen innumerable social experiments including comprehensive schools, selling council homes and the breakup of what used to be known as the nuclear family.

David Cameron has encouraged judges to continue giving tough sentences for people convicted of rioting offences, even as a backlash against the 'zero ...