Criminal Justice Act 2003

148Restrictions on imposing community sentencesE+W

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

(1)A court must not pass a community sentence on an offender unless it is of the opinion that the offence, or the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it, was serious enough to warrant such a sentence.

(2)Where a court passes a community sentence F1. . . —

(a)the particular requirement or requirements forming part of the community order [F2, or, as the case may be, youth rehabilitation order, comprised in the sentence] must be such as, in the opinion of the court, is, or taken together are, the most suitable for the offender, and

(b)the restrictions on liberty imposed by the order must be such as in the opinion of the court are commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, or the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it.

[F3(2A)Subsection (2) is subject to paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 1 to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (youth rehabilitation order with intensive supervision and surveillance).]

(3)F4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)Subsections (1) and (2)(b) have effect subject to section 151(2).

[F5(5)The fact that by virtue of any provision of this section—

(a)a community sentence may be passed in relation to an offence; or

(b)particular restrictions on liberty may be imposed by a community order or youth rehabilitation order,

does not require a court to pass such a sentence or to impose those restrictions.]

Textual Amendments

F1Words in s. 148(2) repealed (30.11.2009) by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4), ss. 6, 149, 153, Sch. 4 para. 73(2)(a), Sch. 28 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 27 paras. 1, 5); S.I. 2009/3074, art. 2(p)(xiii)(u)(xxxi)