Coroners and Justice Act 2009

Chapter 1 Sentencing Council for England and Wales

Sentencing Council for England and Wales

118 Sentencing Council for England and Wales

(1) There is to be a Sentencing Council for England and Wales.

(2) Schedule 15 makes provision about the Council.

119 Annual report

(1) The Council must, as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, make to the Lord Chancellor a report on the exercise of the Council’s functions during the year.

(2) The Lord Chancellor must lay a copy of the report before Parliament.

(3) The Council must publish the report once a copy has been so laid.

(4) Sections 128(3), 130 and 131 make further provision about the content of reports under this section.

(5) If section 118 comes into force after the beginning of a financial year, the first report may relate to a period beginning with the day on which that section comes into force and ending with the end of the next financial year.

Guidelines

120 Sentencing guidelines

(1) In this Chapter “sentencing guidelines” means guidelines relating to the sentencing of offenders.

(2) A sentencing guideline may be general in nature or limited to a particular offence, particular category of offence or particular category of offender.

(3) The Council must prepare—

(a) sentencing guidelines about the discharge of a court’s duty under section 144 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44) (reduction in sentences for guilty pleas), and

(b) sentencing guidelines about the application of any rule of law as to the totality of sentences.

(4) The Council may prepare sentencing guidelines about any other matter.

(5) Where the Council has prepared guidelines under subsection (3) or (4), it must publish them as draft guidelines.

(6) The Council must consult the following persons about the draft guidelines—

(a) the Lord Chancellor;

(b) such persons as the Lord Chancellor may direct;

(c) the Justice Select Committee of the House of Commons (or, if there ceases to be a committee of that name, such committee of the House of Commons as the Lord Chancellor directs);

(d) such other persons as the Council considers appropriate.

(7) In the case of guidelines within subsection (3), the Council must, after making any amendments of the guidelines which it considers appropriate, issue them as definitive guidelines.

(8) In any other case, the Council may, after making such amendments, issue them as definitive guidelines.

(9) The Council may, from time to time, review the sentencing guidelines issued under this section, and may revise them.

(10) Subsections (5), (6) and (8) apply to a revision of the guidelines as they apply to their preparation (and subsection (8) applies even if the guidelines being revised are within subsection (3)).

(11) When exercising functions under this section, the Council must have regard to the following matters—

(a) the sentences imposed by courts in England and Wales for offences;

(b) the need to promote consistency in sentencing;

(c) the impact of sentencing decisions on victims of offences;

(d) the need to promote public confidence in the criminal justice system;

(e) the cost of different sentences and their relative effectiveness in preventing re-offending;

(f) the results of the monitoring carried out under section 128.

121 Sentencing ranges

(1) When exercising functions under section 120, the Council is to have regard to the desirability of sentencing guidelines which relate to a particular offence being structured in the way described in subsections (2) to (9).

(2) The guidelines should, if reasonably practicable given the nature of the offence, describe, by reference to one or more of the factors mentioned in subsection (3), different categories of case involving the commission of the offence which illustrate in general terms the varying degrees of seriousness with which the offence may be committed.

(3) Those factors are—

(a) the offender’s culpability in committing the offence;

(b) the harm caused, or intended to be caused or which might foreseeably have been caused, by the offence;

(c) such other factors as the Council considers to be particularly relevant to the seriousness of the offence in question.

(4) The guidelines should—

(a) specify the range of sentences (“the offence range”) which, in the opinion of the Council, it may be appropriate for a court to impose on an offender convicted of that offence, and

(b) if the guidelines describe different categories of case in accordance with subsection (2), specify for each category the range of sentences (“the category range”) within the offence range which, in the opinion of the Council, it may be appropriate for a court to impose on an offender in a case which falls within the category.

(5) The guidelines should also—

(a) specify the sentencing starting point in the offence range, or

(b) if the guidelines describe different categories of case in accordance with subsection (2), specify the sentencing starting point in the offence range for each of those categories.

(6) The guidelines should—

(a) (to the extent not already taken into account by categories of case described in accordance with subsection (2)) list any aggravating or mitigating factors which, by virtue of any enactment or other rule of law, the court is required to take into account when considering the seriousness of the offence and any other aggravating or mitigating factors which the Council considers are relevant to such a consideration,

(b) list any other mitigating factors which the Council considers are relevant in mitigation of sentence for the offence, and

(c) include criteria, and provide guidance, for determining the weight to be given to previous convictions of the offender and such of the other factors within paragraph (a) or (b) as the Council considers to be of particular significance in relation to the offence or the offender.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (6)(b) the following are to be disregarded—

(a) the requirements of section 144 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44) (reduction in sentences for guilty pleas);

(b) sections 73 and 74 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (assistance by defendants: reduction or review of sentence) and any other rule of law by virtue of which an offender may receive a discounted sentence in consequence of assistance given (or offered to be given) by the offender to the prosecutor or investigator of an offence;

(c) any rule of law as to the totality of sentences.

(8) The provision made in accordance with subsection (6)(c) should be framed in such manner as the Council considers most appropriate for the purpose of assisting the court, when sentencing an offender for the offence, to determine the appropriate sentence within the offence range.

(9) The provision made in accordance with subsections (2) to (8) may be different for different circumstances or cases involving the offence.

(10) The sentencing starting point in the offence range—

(a) for a category of case described in the guidelines in accordance with subsection (2), is the sentence within that range which the Council considers to be the appropriate starting point for cases within that category—

(i) before taking account of the factors mentioned in subsection (6), and

(ii) assuming the offender has pleaded not guilty, and

(b) where the guidelines do not describe categories of case in accordance with subsection (2), is the sentence within that range which the Council considers to be the appropriate starting point for the offence—

(i) before taking account of the factors mentioned in subsection (6), and

(ii) assuming the offender has pleaded not guilty.

122 Allocation guidelines

(1) In this Chapter “allocation guidelines” means guidelines relating to decisions by a magistrates’ court under section 19 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (c. 43), or the Crown Court under paragraph 7(7) or 8(2)(d) of Schedule 3 to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c. 37), as to whether an offence is more suitable for summary trial or trial on indictment.

(2) The Council may prepare allocation guidelines.

(3) Where the Council has prepared guidelines under subsection (2), it must publish them as draft guidelines.

(4) The Council must consult the following persons about the draft guidelines—

(a) the Lord Chancellor;

(b) such persons as the Lord Chancellor may direct;

(c) the Justice Select Committee of the House of Commons (or, if there ceases to be a committee of that name, such committee of the House of Commons as the Lord Chancellor directs);

(d) such other persons as the Council considers appropriate.

(5) The Council may, after making any amendment of the draft guidelines which it considers appropriate, issue the guidelines as definitive guidelines.

(6) The Council may, from time to time, review the allocation guidelines issued under this section, and may revise them.

(7) Subsections (3) to (5) apply to a revision of the guidelines as they apply to their preparation.

(8) When exercising functions under this section, the Council must have regard to—

(a) the need to promote consistency in decisions of the kind mentioned in subsection (1), and

(b) the results of the monitoring carried out under section 128.

123 Preparation or revision of guidelines in urgent cases

(1) This section applies where the Council—

(a) decides to prepare or revise sentencing guidelines or allocation guidelines, and

(b) is of the opinion that the urgency of the case makes it impractical to comply with the procedural requirements of section 120 or (as the case may be) section 122.

(2) The Council may prepare or revise the guidelines without complying with—

(a) in the case of sentencing guidelines, section 120(5), and

(b) in the case of allocation guidelines, section 122(3).

(3) The Council may—

(a) in the case of sentencing guidelines, amend and issue the guidelines under section 120(7) or (8) without having complied with the requirements of section 120(6)(b) to (d), and

(b) in the case of allocation guidelines, amend and issue the guidelines under section 122(5) without having complied with the requirements of section 122(4)(b) to (d).

(4) The guidelines or revised guidelines must—

(a) state that the Council was of the opinion mentioned in subsection (1)(b), and

(b) give the Council’s reasons for that opinion.

124 Proposals by Lord Chancellor or Court of Appeal

(1) The Lord Chancellor may propose to the Council—

(a) that sentencing guidelines be prepared or revised by the Council under section 120—

(i) in relation to a particular offence, particular category of offence or particular category of offenders, or

(ii) in relation to a particular matter affecting sentencing;

(b) that allocation guidelines be prepared or revised by the Council under section 122.

(2) Subsection (3) applies where the criminal division of the Court of Appeal (“the appeal court”) is seised of an appeal against, or a reference under section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33) (reviews of sentencing) with respect to, the sentence passed for an offence (“the relevant offence”).

(3) The appeal court may propose to the Council that sentencing guidelines be prepared or revised by the Council under section 120—

(a) in relation to the relevant offence, or

(b) in relation to a category of offences within which the relevant offence falls.

(4) A proposal under subsection (3) may be included in the appeal court’s judgment in the appeal.

(5) If the Council receives a proposal under subsection (1) or (3) to prepare or revise any guidelines, it must consider whether to do so.

(6) For the purposes of this section, the appeal court is seised of an appeal against a sentence if—

(a) the court or a single judge has granted leave to appeal against the sentence under section 9 or 10 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 (c. 19) (appeals against sentence), or

(b) in a case where the judge who passed the sentence granted a certificate of fitness for appeal under section 9 or 10 of that Act, notice of appeal has been given,

and the appeal has not been abandoned or disposed of.

(7) For the purposes of this section, the appeal court is seised of a reference under section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (reviews of sentencing) if it has given leave under subsection (1) of that section and the reference has not been disposed of.

(8) This section is without prejudice to any power of the appeal court to provide guidance relating to the sentencing of offenders in a judgment of the court.

Duties of the court

125 Sentencing guidelines: duty of court

(1) Every court—

(a) must, in sentencing an offender, follow any sentencing guidelines which are relevant to the offender’s case, and

(b) must, in exercising any other function relating to the sentencing of offenders, follow any sentencing guidelines which are relevant to the exercise of the function,

unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

(2) Subsections (3) and (4) apply where—

(a) a court is deciding what sentence to impose on a person (“P”) who is guilty of an offence, and

(b) sentencing guidelines have been issued in relation to that offence which are structured in the way described in section 121(2) to (5) (“the offence-specific guidelines”).

(3) The duty imposed on a court by subsection (1)(a) to follow any sentencing guidelines which are relevant to the offender’s case includes—

(a) in all cases, a duty to impose on P, in accordance with the offence-specific guidelines, a sentence which is within the offence range, and

(b) where the offence-specific guidelines describe categories of case in accordance with section 121(2), a duty to decide which of the categories most resembles P’s case in order to identify the sentencing starting point in the offence range;

but nothing in this section imposes on the court a separate duty, in a case within paragraph (b), to impose a sentence which is within the category range.

(4) Subsection (3)(b) does not apply if the court is of the opinion that, for the purpose of identifying the sentence within the offence range which is the appropriate starting point, none of the categories sufficiently resembles P’s case.

(5) Subsection (3)(a) is subject to—

(a) section 144 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44) (reduction in sentences for guilty pleas),

(b) sections 73 and 74 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15) (assistance by defendants: reduction or review of sentence) and any other rule of law by virtue of which an offender may receive a discounted sentence in consequence of assistance given (or offered to be given) by the offender to the prosecutor or investigator of an offence, and

(c) any rule of law as to the totality of sentences.

(6) The duty imposed by subsection (1) is subject to the following provisions—

(a) section 148(1) and (2) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (restrictions on imposing community sentences);

(b) section 152 of that Act (restrictions on imposing discretionary custodial sentences);

(c) section 153 of that Act (custodial sentence must be for shortest term commensurate with seriousness of offence);

(d) section 164(2) of that Act (fine must reflect seriousness of offence);

(e) section 269 of and Schedule 21 to that Act (determination of minimum term in relation to mandatory life sentence);

(f) section 51A of the Firearms Act 1968 (c. 27) (minimum sentence for certain offences under section 5 etc);

(g) sections 110(2) and 111(2) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (c. 6) (minimum sentences for certain drug trafficking and burglary offences);

(h) section 29(4) and (6) of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38) (minimum sentences for certain offences involving firearms).

(7) Nothing in this section or section 126 is to be taken as restricting any power (whether under the Mental Health Act 1983 (c. 20) or otherwise) which enables a court to deal with a mentally disordered offender in the manner it considers to be most appropriate in all the circumstances.

(8) In this section—

• “mentally disordered”, in relation to a person, means suffering from a mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983;

• “sentencing guidelines” means definitive sentencing guidelines.

126 Determination of tariffs etc

(1) Section 125(3) (except as applied by virtue of subsection (3) below) is subject to any power a court has to impose—

(a) a sentence of imprisonment for public protection by virtue of section 225(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44);

(b) a sentence of detention for public protection by virtue of section 226(3) of that Act;

(c) an extended sentence of imprisonment by virtue of section 227 of that Act;

(d) an extended sentence of detention by virtue of section 228 of that Act.

(2) Subsection (3) applies where a court determines the notional determinate term for the purpose of determining in any case—

(a) the order to be made under section 82A of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (life sentence: determination of tariffs),

(b) the notional minimum term for the purposes of section 225(3C) or 226(3A) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (imprisonment or detention for public protection for serious offences),

(c) the appropriate custodial term for the purposes of section 227(3) of that Act (extended sentence for certain violent or sexual offences: persons 18 or over), or

(d) the appropriate term for the purposes of section 228(3) of that Act (extended sentence for certain violent or sexual offences: persons under 18).

(3) Subsections (2) to (5) of section 125 apply for the purposes of determining the notional determinate term in relation to an offence as they apply for the purposes of determining the sentence for an offence.

(4) In this section references to the notional determinate term are to the determinate sentence that would have been passed in the case if the need to protect the public and the potential danger of the offender had not required the court to impose a life sentence (in circumstances where the sentence is not fixed by law) or, as the case may be, an extended sentence of imprisonment or detention.

(5) In subsection (4) “life sentence” has the same meaning as in Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 (c. 43).

Other functions of the Council

127 Resource implications of guidelines

(1) This section applies where the Council—

(a) publishes draft guidelines under section 120 or 122, or

(b) issues guidelines as definitive guidelines under either of those sections.

(2) The Council must publish a resource assessment in respect of the guidelines.

(3) A resource assessment in respect of any guidelines is an assessment by the Council of the likely effect of the guidelines on—

(a) the resources required for the provision of prison places,

(b) the resources required for probation provision, and

(c) the resources required for the provision of youth justice services.

(4) The resources assessment must be published—

(a) in a case within subsection (1)(a), at the time of publication of the draft guidelines;

(b) in a case within subsection (1)(b), at the time the guidelines are issued or, where the guidelines are issued by virtue of section 123, as soon as reasonably practicable after the guidelines are issued.

(5) The Council must keep under review any resource assessment published under this section, and, if the assessment is found to be inaccurate in a material respect, publish a revised resource assessment.

128 Monitoring

(1) The Council must—

(a) monitor the operation and effect of its sentencing guidelines, and

(b) consider what conclusions can be drawn from the information obtained by virtue of paragraph (a).

(2) The Council must, in particular, discharge its duty under subsection (1)(a) with a view to drawing conclusions about—

(a) the frequency with which, and extent to which, courts depart from sentencing guidelines;

(b) the factors which influence the sentences imposed by courts;

(c) the effect of the guidelines on the promotion of consistency in sentencing;

(d) the effect of the guidelines on the promotion of public confidence in the criminal justice system.

(3) When reporting on the exercise of its functions under this section in its annual report for a financial year, the Council must include—

(a) a summary of the information obtained under subsection (1)(a), and

(b) a report of any conclusions drawn by the Council under subsection (1)(b).

129 Promoting awareness

(1) The Council must publish, at such intervals as it considers appropriate—

(a) in relation to each local justice area, information regarding the sentencing practice of the magistrates’ courts acting in that area, and

(b) in relation to each location at which the Crown Court sits, information regarding the sentencing practice of the Crown Court when it sits at that location.

(2) The Council may promote awareness of matters relating to the sentencing of offenders by courts in England and Wales, including, in particular—

(a) the sentences imposed by courts in England and Wales;

(b) the cost of different sentences and their relative effectiveness in preventing re-offending;

(c) the operation and effect of guidelines under this Chapter.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the Council may, in particular, publish any information obtained or produced by it in connection with its functions under section 128(1).

130 Resources: effect of sentencing practice

(1) The annual report for a financial year must contain a sentencing factors report.

(2) A sentencing factors report is an assessment made by the Council, using the information available to it, of the effect which any changes in the sentencing practice of courts are having or are likely to have on each of the following—

(a) the resources required for the provision of prison places;

(b) the resources required for probation provision;

(c) the resources required for the provision of youth justice services.

131 Resources: effect of factors not related to sentencing

(1) The annual report for a financial year must contain a non-sentencing factors report.

(2) The Council may, at any other time, provide the Lord Chancellor with a non-sentencing factors report, and may publish that report.

(3) A non-sentencing factors report is a report by the Council of any significant quantitative effect (or any significant change in quantitative effect) which non-sentencing factors are having or are likely to have on the resources needed or available for giving effect to sentences imposed by courts in England and Wales.

(4) Non-sentencing factors are factors which do not relate to the sentencing practice of the courts, and include—

(a) the recalling of persons to prison;

(b) breaches of orders within subsection (5);

(c) patterns of re-offending;

(d) decisions or recommendations for release made by the Parole Board;

(e) the early release under discretionary powers of persons detained in prison;

(f) the remanding of persons in custody.

(5) The orders within this subsection are—

(a) community orders (within the meaning of section 177 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44)),

(b) suspended sentence orders (within the meaning of section 189(7) of that Act), and

(c) youth rehabilitation orders (within the meaning of Part 1 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4)).

132 Duty to assess impact of policy and legislative proposals

(1) This section applies where the Lord Chancellor refers to the Council any government policy proposal, or government proposal for legislation, which the Lord Chancellor considers may have a significant effect on one or more of the following—

(a) the resources required for the provision of prison places;

(b) the resources required for probation provision;

(c) the resources required for the provision of youth justice services.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)—

• “government policy proposal” includes a policy proposal of the Welsh Ministers;

• “government proposal for legislation” includes a proposal of the Welsh Ministers for legislation.

(3) The Council must assess the likely effect of the proposal on the matters mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1).

(4) The Council must prepare a report of the assessment and send the report—

(a) to the Lord Chancellor, and

(b) if the report relates to a proposal of the Welsh Ministers, to the Welsh Ministers.

(5) A single report may be prepared of the assessments relating to 2 or more proposals.

(6) If the Lord Chancellor receives a report under subsection (4) the Lord Chancellor must, unless it relates only to a proposal of the Welsh Ministers, lay a copy of it before each House of Parliament.

(7) If the Welsh Ministers receive a report under subsection (4) they must lay a copy of it before the National Assembly for Wales.

(8) The Council must publish a report which has been laid in accordance with subsections (6) and (7).

(9) In this section “legislation” means—

(a) an Act of Parliament if, or to the extent that, it extends to England and Wales;

(b) subordinate legislation made under an Act of Parliament if, or to the extent that, the subordinate legislation extends to England and Wales;

(c) a Measure or Act of the National Assembly for Wales or subordinate legislation made under such a Measure or Act.

Lord Chancellor’s functions

133 Assistance by the Lord Chancellor

The Lord Chancellor may provide the Council with such assistance as it requests in connection with the performance of its functions.

134 Entrenchment of Lord Chancellor’s functions

In Schedule 7 to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4) (protected functions of the Lord Chancellor), in Part A of paragraph 4—

(a) for the entry for the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44) substitute—

• “Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44)

• Section 174(4)

• Section 269(6) and (7)”, and

(b) after the entry for the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (c. 15) insert—

• “Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25)

• Section 119(1) and (2)

• Section 120(6)

• Section 122(4)

• Section 124(1)

• Section 131(2)

• Section 132(1), (4) and (6)

• Section 133

• Schedule 15”.

Miscellaneous and general

135 Abolition of existing sentencing bodies

The following are abolished—

(a) the Sentencing Guidelines Council;

(b) the Sentencing Advisory Panel.

136 Interpretation of this Chapter

In this Chapter, except where the context otherwise requires—

• “allocation guidelines” has the meaning given by section 122;

• “annual report” means a report made under section 119;

• “the category range” has the meaning given by section 121(4)(b);

• “the Council” means the Sentencing Council for England and Wales;

• “definitive sentencing guidelines” means sentencing guidelines issued by the Council under section 120 as definitive guidelines, as revised by any subsequent guidelines so issued;

• “financial year” means a period of 12 months ending with 31 March;

• “the offence range” has the meaning given by section 121(4)(a);

• “prison”—

  (a)

  includes any youth detention accommodation within the meaning of section 107(1) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (c. 6) (detention and training orders), but

  (b)

  does not include any naval, military or air force prison;

• “probation provision” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Offender Management Act 2007 (c. 21);

• “sentence”, in relation to an offence, includes any order made by a court when dealing with the offender in respect of the offender’s offence, and “sentencing” is to be construed accordingly;

• “sentencing guidelines” has the meaning given by section 120;

• “the sentencing starting point”, in relation to the offence range, has the meaning given by section 121(10);

• “youth justice services” has the meaning given by section 38(4) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c. 37).