*/
A wider range of prosecutors will be permitted to conduct the rising number of appeals against unduly lenient sentences (ULS), the Attorney General announced.
Currently, such cases conducted on behalf of the Government have been reserved to Treasury Counsel, but under a six-month pilot scheme grade four prosecution advocates will be able to carry out the work.
Treasury Counsel will continue to play the main role in ULS casework and the Attorney General will retain discretion to request them in appropriate cases.
But the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, said: ‘It’s vital that the public are able to legally challenge custodial sentences and to make sure offences are being properly punished.
‘This trial extension is a great opportunity for experienced lawyers to develop their skills further whilst preserving the continued effective operation of the ULS scheme.’
He added: ‘With the number of referrals increasing, it is right that we look at ways to widen the approach.’
The number of sentences considered by the Attorney General’s Office has increased by 97% since 2010, up from 342 sentences to 674 in 2014. During the same period, referrals by the Attorney General’s Office to the Court of Appeal rose 35%, from 90 to 122.
However, the number of sentences found to be unduly lenient has remained low. In 2013 and 2014 only 166 offenders had their sentence increased.
Commenting on the issue, President of the Queen’s Bench Division, Sir Brian Leveson, said: ‘Sentencing is a complex process where the judge must take into account a number of factors in reaching a balanced decision.
‘In order to maintain public confidence in sentencing, it is important that any member of the public may request a review by the Attorney General of a sentence imposed in the Crown Court.’
A wider range of prosecutors will be permitted to conduct the rising number of appeals against unduly lenient sentences (ULS), the Attorney General announced.
Currently, such cases conducted on behalf of the Government have been reserved to Treasury Counsel, but under a six-month pilot scheme grade four prosecution advocates will be able to carry out the work.
Treasury Counsel will continue to play the main role in ULS casework and the Attorney General will retain discretion to request them in appropriate cases.
But the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, said: ‘It’s vital that the public are able to legally challenge custodial sentences and to make sure offences are being properly punished.
‘This trial extension is a great opportunity for experienced lawyers to develop their skills further whilst preserving the continued effective operation of the ULS scheme.’
He added: ‘With the number of referrals increasing, it is right that we look at ways to widen the approach.’
The number of sentences considered by the Attorney General’s Office has increased by 97% since 2010, up from 342 sentences to 674 in 2014. During the same period, referrals by the Attorney General’s Office to the Court of Appeal rose 35%, from 90 to 122.
However, the number of sentences found to be unduly lenient has remained low. In 2013 and 2014 only 166 offenders had their sentence increased.
Commenting on the issue, President of the Queen’s Bench Division, Sir Brian Leveson, said: ‘Sentencing is a complex process where the judge must take into account a number of factors in reaching a balanced decision.
‘In order to maintain public confidence in sentencing, it is important that any member of the public may request a review by the Attorney General of a sentence imposed in the Crown Court.’
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
For one night only at Middle Temple Hall (Sunday 26 July 2026) – Abigail Bright introduces the famed annual fundraising theatrical event. This year, Martin Shaw and Jason Watkins perform John Mortimer’s The Dock Brief, a mixture of farce and pathos and all in support of the work of the Kalisher Trust in its 30th year
