The Law Commission is reviewing the law in relation to hate crime.
For more information about this project, click here.
We recommend that you read the Consultation Paper before responding to the consultation. A shorter summary is also available.
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This is a public consultation by the Law Commission for England and Wales.
In 2018 the Law Commission agreed with the Home Office to review the law on confiscation contained within Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The primary aims of this review are...More
This is a public consultation by the Law Commission for England and Wales.
Reform of the law is needed to protect victims from harmful online behaviour including abusive messages, cyber-flashing, pile-on harassment, and the malicious sharing of information known to be...More
This is a public consultation by the Law Commission for England and Wales.
In 2018 the Law Commission agreed with the Home Office to review the law on confiscation contained within Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The primary aims of this review are to ...More
This is a public consultation by the Law Commission for England and Wales.
We are consulting on a draft Bill to reform the rules on the transfer of ownership of goods as they apply to consumers. The draft Bill seeks to implement recommendations we made in our 2016 report,...More
The UK justice system is known across the world for its excellence, objectivity and impartiality. This is due, in no small part, to the exceptional expertise of our courts and tribunal judges, our coroners, and our valued magistrates. Our independent judiciary uphold and exercise the rule of...More
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (the Scheme) is a statutory scheme that exists to compensate victims of violent crime in Great Britain. Its core purpose is to recognise, through compensation, the harm experienced by victims injured as a result of violent crime, including physical and...More
This consultation explores a number of options to strengthen the Arm’s Length Bodies’ ability to scrutinise and improve accountability within the criminal justice system, more specifically relating to prisons, probation and custodial settings . It also considers...More
What is this consultation about?
The Sentencing Council is proposing to issue two guidelines for the offence of unauthorised use of a trade mark contrary to section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1994; one for sentencing individuals and one for sentencing organisations.
What is...More
Why Assault offences?
The Sentencing Council’s Assault Definitive Guideline was the first guideline developed by the Sentencing Council and came into force in 2011. It includes guidelines for sentencing offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861: section 18 GBH (causing...More
Public consultation to help shape the future objectives and priorities of the Sentencing Council.
**The closing date of this consultation has been extended to 9 September 2020**
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Update: 27 January 2021
The consultation explained that the lease of Anchorage House was due to expire at the end of January 2021. Following negotiations between the landlord of the building and HMCTS, a lease extension has now been agreed to the end of June 2021. Medway County and...More
This consultation was extended on 27 March until further notice due to the Covid-19 pandemic; the consultation will now close on Wednesday 17 June.
Criminal defence practitioners play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law. As a former criminal barrister, I greatly...More
As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, this consultation has been extended and will now run until 28 May 2020.
Being a victim of crime can be life-changing, and how people are treated within the justice system can make a huge difference to their ability to cope and recover. As Victims’...More
Why Drug offences?
The Sentencing Council’s Drug Offences Definitive guideline came into force in February 2012. It includes guidelines for sentencing offences of importation/exportation, supply, possession with intent to supply, production, permitting premises to be used, and...More
The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) is considering whether amendments should be made to Civil Procedure Rules Part 81 concerning the practices and procedures on contempt of court.
Given the wide-ranging nature of the rules on contempt, this is a cross-jurisdictional,...More
What is this consultation about?
The Sentencing Council has received suggestions from guideline users in magistrates’ courts on improvements that could usefully be made to guidelines and the explanatory materials that accompany them. The Council has considered these helpful...More
This is a public consultation by the Law Commission for England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission.
The consultation questions are drawn from our second consultation paper published as part of a three-year review of automated vehicles. For more information about this...More
The government is consulting on proposals to change the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme. The aim of these proposals is to ensure that the Scheme is sustainable into the future, in order to maintain this vital service for those who need it.
The key proposals in this consultation are: ...More
Why Terrorism Again?
The Sentencing Council issued a package of definitive terrorism guidelines in March 2018 which came into effect on 27 April 2018. At the time of developing the current guidelines, the Council was aware that the Government was contemplating changes to...More
This is a public consultation by the Law Commission for England and Wales.
Shares and bonds are increasingly held through a system of “dematerialisation” and “intermediation”. In other words, most paper certificates have been replaced by a system in which most investors “own”...More
The Family Procedure Rule Committee (FPRC) established a judicially-led working group (the Costs Working Group) in November 2018 to undertake a review, and to engage in ‘blue sky thinking’ in relation to the functioning of the current costs regime in financial remedies cases, and, where...More
This is a joint public consultation by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission.
The Law Commissions are reviewing the law and regulation of surrogacy. Surrogacy is the practice of a woman (the "surrogate") agreeing to become pregnant, and deliver a baby,...More
Becoming a victim of crime is often a traumatic experience, which can have a profound and deeply personal impact on the victim. How people are treated immediately after a crime, and subsequently within the justice system, can make an important difference, not just in helping them play their...More
Progress update
The call for evidence has now closed and the panel are considering the vast amount of evidence gathered. They aim to publish their findings in the coming months.
A Progress Update can be found in the Related section of this page detailing the panel’s work to date...More
What is the Sentencing Council?
The Sentencing Council is the independent body responsible for developing sentencing guidelines which courts in England and Wales must follow when passing a sentence. The Council consults on proposed guidelines before they come into force and makes...More
A stillbirth is a tragedy which has a profound effect upon bereaved families. We are committed to ensuring that, wherever possible we do all we can to ensure that when such a tragedy occurs, lessons are learnt and changes made to prevent avoidable stillbirths in the future.
Our...More
A stillbirth is a tragedy which has a profound effect upon bereaved families. We are committed to ensuring that, wherever possible we do all we can to ensure that when such a tragedy occurs, lessons are learnt and changes made to prevent avoidable stillbirths in the future.
Our...More
This is a consultation on extending Fixed Recoverable Costs in civil cases in England and Wales, following Sir Rupert Jackson’s 2017 report.
Fixed Recoverable Costs (FRC) prescribe the amount of damages that can be claimed back from a losing party in civil litigation; they are a way of...More
What is the Sentencing Council?
The Sentencing Council is the independent body responsible for developing sentencing guidelines which courts in England and Wales must follow when passing a sentence. The Council consults on its proposed guidelines before they come into force and makes...More