Sentencing

criminal law

Expressing genuine remorse in the dock or showing there are job prospects on the horizon can pay dividends for offenders facing a stretch inside, according to Sentencing Council research in the Crown Court in 2011.

House of Lords

The House of Lords constitution committee has highlighted “significant” concerns with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

criminal

New proposals have been announced regarding sentencing for multiple offences and mode of trial decisions.

QASA

An accreditation scheme designed to maintain high standards in criminal advocacy has changed its acronym. The Quality Assurance for Advocates scheme is to be known as the QASA (Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates).

The Sentencing Council has published a public consultation on its proposals to introduce a new guideline for the sentencing of burglary offences. The consultation runs from May 12 for twelve weeks and will close on 4 August 2011. 

The inaugural Bar Debate took place on 7 April 2011 in Court 1 of the Old Bailey. Counsel’s David Wurtzel was there
  

The debating chamber 

Court 1 of the Old Bailey has seen its share of sentencing in its time.  This has included the need for the judge to don the black cap, which at least one panellist on 7 April looked forward to seeing again.  It was thus a suitable if well behaved venue for the first Bar Debate:  “Bang ‘em up Britain:  are we taking a rational approach to sentencing?”  

sentencing guidelines

The Sentencing Council has published a new guideline for assault offences.

It applies to both magistrates’ and Crown courts, and covers the most frequently sentenced of these offences — inflicting grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, assault with intent to resist arrest, assault on a police constable and common assault.

CBA Chairman raises concerns 

The Criminal Bar Association (“CBA”) has given a lukewarm response to Government proposals to offer defendants who plead guilty at the earliest stage a 50 per cent reduction in their sentence. 

Lord Justice Leveson, the senior presiding judge in England and Wales, has expressed concerns about the high numbers of penalty notices and other out of court disposals of justice. 

Solicitor General Edward Garnier QC MP discusses the role of the Law Officers in referring a sentence which is considered to be unduly lenient to the Court of Appeal 

The Law Officers (the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, and I) have a wide variety of powers, from assisting charities to prosecuting the media for contempt, but none is more high profile than the power under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to refer a case to the Court of Appeal where the sentence is considered to be unduly lenient.