Matt Hancock’s 10-year jail sentences for people who lie about their travel history have been condemned as disproportionate by former justice secretaries. Under the new rules which come into force on Monday, people who deliberately conceal their arrival from one of the 33 “red list” countries may face up to 10 years in jail, the maximum sentence under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 which the Government says could be used to prosecute in these circumstances. Nick Vamos, the former head of Special Crime at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “I don’t think the CPS would have any difficulty with bringing a prosecution, but I very much doubt if there would be anything like a 10-year sentence. I don’t think a court would impose a custodial sentence at all.” Read more