Shabana Mahmood has said she will restore “faith that justice will be delivered” as offenders are finally forced to attend their sentencing hearings.

The Justice Secretary has vowed to put “victims’ needs at the heart of the system” by ensuring criminals who have “destroyed their lives” face justice. Her commitment to change the law was included in the King’s Speech setting out Labour ’s legislative agenda for the next Parliament.

High profile killers including nurse Lucy Letby refused to leave their cells to listen in court about the impact of their offences. Others who have done the same include the murderers of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool and Zara Aleena, who was killed as she walked home from a night out in east London.

Ms Mahmood told the Mirror she can’t “imagine the grief and anger felt by the families and friends” of Olivia and Ms Aleena when their killers “refuse to face up to their crimes”. “By failing to attend sentencing hearings, these criminals deny victims and their families the opportunity to say how these crimes have destroyed their lives,” she said.

Families are given the opportunity to read victim personal statements at sentencing hearings to tell offenders about the impact of their crimes. The Mirror launched the Face Justice campaign to call for an urgent change in the law to force offenders to face their victims' families. Rishi Sunak promised to address the issue but legislation was abandoned when he called the General Election.

Now Labour has revived the promise in the Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill. The legislation will also ensure victims of crime and antisocial behaviour get the support they deserve and will strengthen powers for the Victims’ Commissioner to hold the system to account for the needs of victims.

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Ms Mahmood said: “I can only imagine the grief and anger felt by the families and friends of Zara Aleena, Olivia Pratt-Korbel and many others when criminals like Jordan McSweeney and Thomas Cashman refuse to face up to their crimes. This Government is putting victims’ needs at the heart of the system so they can have faith that justice will be delivered.

“We’ll change the law, so that criminals who commit the most serious crimes are ordered to attend their sentencing hearings. I applaud The Mirror for its tireless campaign to right this wrong, and I pay tribute to the victims and families who have spoken out with such courage.”