Sentencing Act 2020

186 Youth rehabilitation order: exercise of power to impose particular requirements

(1) This section applies where a court makes a youth rehabilitation order in respect of an offence.

Restrictions and obligations relating to imposing particular requirements

(2) The power to impose a particular youth rehabilitation requirement is subject to the provisions of the Part of Schedule 6 relating to requirements of that kind (see column 2 of the table in section 174).

Suitability

(3) The particular youth rehabilitation requirement or combination of youth rehabilitation requirements imposed by the order must, in the opinion of the court, be the most suitable for the offender.

In the case of a youth rehabilitation order with intensive supervision and surveillance, this is subject to section 175 (by virtue of which the order must impose certain requirements).

(4) The pre-sentence report requirements (see section 30) apply to the court in relation to forming any opinion on whether a particular youth rehabilitation requirement or combination of youth rehabilitation requirements is suitable for the offender.

(5) In forming its opinion for the purposes of subsection (3) on which requirement or combination of requirements is the most suitable for the offender, the court may take into account any information about the offender which is before it.

Restrictions on liberty to be commensurate with seriousness

(6) The restrictions on liberty imposed by the order must be such as are in the opinion of the court commensurate with the seriousness of—

(a) the offence, or

(b) the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it.

In the case of a youth rehabilitation order with intensive supervision and surveillance, this is subject to section 175 (by virtue of which the order must impose certain requirements).

(7) In forming its opinion for the purposes of subsection (6), the court must take into account all the information that is available to it about the circumstances of the offence, or of it and the associated offence or offences, including any aggravating or mitigating factors.

(8) The pre-sentence report requirements (see section 30) apply to the court in relation to forming that opinion.

(9) The fact that, by virtue of subsection (6), particular restrictions on liberty may be imposed by a youth rehabilitation order does not require the court to impose those restrictions.

Compatibility with other requirements and other matters

(10) If the order imposes two or more requirements, the court must, before making the order, consider whether, in the circumstances of the case, the requirements are compatible with each other.

This is subject to sections 175 and 176 and paragraphs 19(3) and 21 of Schedule 6 (certain types of youth rehabilitation order to contain certain requirements).

(11) The court must ensure, as far as practicable, that any requirement imposed by the order is such as to avoid—

(a) any conflict with the offender’s religious beliefs,

(b) any interference with the times, if any, at which the offender normally works or attends school or any other educational establishment, and

(c) any conflict with the requirements of any other court order to which the offender may be subject,

and satisfies any additional restrictions that the Secretary of State may specify in regulations.

(12) Regulations under subsection (11) are subject to the negative resolution procedure.