Draft guideline for consultation only. Draft guidelines should not be taken into account when sentencing.
In general, courts should impose the shortest term commensurate with the seriousness of the offence. The court imposing a community order must specify the length of that order by specifying the end date by which all requirements in it must have been complied with. This end date must not be more than 3 years after the date of the order.
The court should specify a length of an order which reflects both the seriousness of the offence and the length of time the requirements being imposed necessitate (within which a consideration of the offender’s individual circumstances will be necessary).