Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has publicly criticized Labour's justice reforms, arguing that pressure to reduce the remand population is leading courts to grant bail to dangerous offenders, thereby prioritizing criminals over victim safety. He warned that this approach is eroding public confidence in the justice system and driving victims to abandon prosecutions after witnessing their attackers released.

His criticism centres on the case of Zafer Dogan, a 32-year-old sex offender who collected over 5,000 indecent images of children and used artificial intelligence to digitally alter photographs. Despite admitting nine offences, three courts granted him bail, allowing him to remain in a home overlooking the playground he had targeted, where he continued photographing children. Consequently, his victims' families were forced to flee their homes, withdraw children from schools, and quit jobs for protection. Dogan was finally sentenced to two years and four months in prison. Rowley attributed these bail decisions to pressure on courts resulting from prison overcrowding, as 700 offenders are set to be released under the Government's early release scheme.