Published on:
10 September 2024
Sentencing Council annual report 2023/24
The Sentencing Council’s annual report for 2023/24 is Lord Justice William Davis’s second report as Chairman. It documents the Council’s achievements of the year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 in the context of the objectives set in the Council’s five-year strategy, Sentencing Council strategic objectives 2021-2026.
The Council’s achievements during 2023/24 include:
- publishing new and revised offence specific definitive guidelines covering:
- animal cruelty offences, to reflect increased maximum penalties for a number of animal cruelty offences introduced by the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021
- motoring offences, to reflect increased maximum penalties for causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, and a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
- perverting the course of justice, introducing the first sentencing guidelines for these serious offences
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witness intimidation, revising the guidance already available in the magistrates’ courts and introducing the first such guidelines for the Crown Court
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publishing a revised overarching guideline on totality, setting out the approach to be taken when sentencing an offender for more than one offence or who is already serving a sentence
- holding consultations on offence specific guidelines for:
- blackmail, kidnap and false imprisonment
- immigration offences
- aggravated vehicle taking and other motoring related offences
We also opened a consultation on a comprehensive review of the overarching guideline, Imposition of community and custodial sentences, and our third, annual miscellaneous amendments consultation.
The report also sets out details of three research projects we conducted or commissioned during the year: a review of how expanded explanations in sentencing guidelines are interpreted and applied by sentencers; a review of the Council’s definitive guideline: Overarching principles: domestic abuse; and an examination of issues related to effectiveness of sentencing as a form of deterrent to offending.