Tag: Turning 18
Court of Appeal judgment on mitigating factors in modern slavery offences
The Court of Appeal reduced a 21 year old’s sentence for county lines drug offences and offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 on the grounds of his youth and lack of similar convictions.
Court of Appeal judgment on the passage of time between offence and sentence
The Court of Appeal considered the relevance of age and the long delay between the commission of the offences and sentencing.
Court of Appeal judgment on sentencing young people over 18
The Court of Appeal refused to grant leave for the Solicitor General to make a reference on the grounds that the sentence awarded was too lenient, given the adult defendant’s youth, vulnerability and immaturity.
Court of Appeal ruling on sentencing 18 year olds
The Court of Appeal reduced the sentence of an 18 year old on the basis that not enough weight had been given to the features of the his youth, his immaturity and his lack of appreciation of the seriousness of his offending and the harm it caused.
Howard League calls for sentencing guidelines for young adults – a new report
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.
Judging maturity – A report on sentencing young adults
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.
Youth court jurisdiction when a child turns 18
By virtue of section 24 Magistrates' Court Act 1980 somebody under the age of 18 who 'appears or is brought before a Magistrates' Court' in relation to an indictable offence shall be tried summarily. This case analyses what 'appears or is brought before a Magistrates' Court' means and following the case of R v islington Juvenile Court ex parte Daley (1992) 75 Cr App R 280 confirms that it refers to the occasion on which the court makes its decision on mode of trial.
R v Hobbs – turning 18 is not a cliff edge – another Court of Appeal ruling
The Court of Appeal have ruled that when sentencing an 18 year old for an offence of manslaughter, committed when she was 17, the sentencing court should have had regard to the sentencing guidelines for children and young people as well as to the level of her maturity given that she was still a young adult
R v Clarke – 18 is not a cliff edge for sentencing
R v Clarke, Andrews and Thompson [2018] EWCA Crim 185 This case, with judgment given by the Lord Chief Justice, stresses the continuing importance of taking into consideration maturity when sentencing young adults aged 18 or older. Details The three defendants were convicted of serious offences. They kidnapped a boy from his home, kept him […]
Turning 18 between conviction and sentence
R v Dennis Obasi [2014] EWCA Crim 581 The Court of Appeal confirmed that the relevant age for the purpose of sentencing is the age at the date of conviction. Where a young person is 17 at the date of conviction and 18 at the time of sentence the ‘relevant age’ for the purpose of sentencing is 17.