Tag: Sentencing

The Law Commission have published a draft Sentencing Code alongside an accompanying report. The Sentencing Code is intended to be a single statute which contains all of the law on sentencing procedure by consolidating the existing legislation.

Updated guidance for Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) and youth offender panel members.

The seventh amendment to the Criminal Practice Directions 2015 was issued by the Lord Chief Justice on 26 July 2018 and comes into force on 01 October 2018.

The Howard League for Penal Reform have published a report which concludes that formal sentencing principles for 18 - 25 year olds, similar to the Sentencing Council guidelines that are in place for children, would assist the courts and improve sentencing outcomes.

The Court of Appeal held that the sentencing starting points taken by the judge, which had ranged from eight years and two months to nine years and six months' imprisonment, were lenient, however, not unduly lenient.

This report by the Howard League and Transition to Adulthood recommends that The Sentencing Council should work towards developing formal sentencing principles for young adults, similar to the principles that are in place for children.

R v JT [2018] EWCA Crim 1942 This judgment is a good example of the distinct and individualistic approach to be taken when sentencing children. Details The appellant was charged with, what on the face of it, was a serious matter of arson. The appellant had set fire to bus in a bus station, which […]

R v Ammar Kahrod (2018) CA (Crim Div) (Hallett LJ, Kerr J, Sir Andrew Smith) 04 July 2018 The appellant’s sentence to a minimum term of 17 years for a murder which was not premeditated and in which he did not have an intention to kill, was not found to be manifestly excessive.  The fact […]

In this case the Court of Appeal ruled that the Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) should not have been made. CBOs should only be made in limited circumstances and then only in if tailored to the specific facts of the case.

The Judicial College has published The Crown Court Compendium (May 2016), providing guidance on directing the jury in Crown Court trials and when sentencing. It contains specific guidance on the sentencing of children.