What next for the Sentencing Council?

Overview

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**

Why your views matter

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. It has been a busy 10 years: we have produced 27 sets of definitive guidelines encompassing 145 separate guidelines that cover 227 offences and eight overarching topics.

Developing guidelines is a collaborative process; as well as input from Council members and the small multi-disciplinary team who support our work, we rely on the cooperation of individuals and organisations working in the criminal justice system and beyond to ensure that we have the fullest information possible to draw on.

Over the years, thousands of magistrates and judges have completed surveys or participated in detailed research, providing us with evidence to underpin the guidelines. We have held more than 30 public consultations, which have received almost 4,000 responses.

The Council does more than produce guidelines; we publish research and statistics on sentencing, and we promote public understanding of sentencing through the information provided on our website, by providing educational materials for use in schools and by working with other organisations, for example the police.  

The purpose of this consultation is not to look back (though it does reflect on the work of the Council to date), but to look forward. We are calling on all those with an interest in criminal justice and sentencing to contribute to a discussion on what the Council’s future objectives and priorities should be.