Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Deferred
Paragraph: 85
Review statutory purposes of sentencing to emphasise justice for victims and families.
Recommendation
Findings from the Committee’s engagement with the public demonstrate how important it is for the MoJ to undertake more work of this nature and to incorporate findings into its policy development. The Government should review the statutory purposes of sentencing to consider whether greater emphasis should be placed on achieving justice for the victims of crime and their families.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response focused on the quarterly publication of Criminal Justice System Statistics and efforts to make data more accessible to users, not addressing the recommendation to review the statutory purposes of sentencing to emphasize justice for victims.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
85
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
48. The statutory purposes of sentencing are punishment, crime reduction, reform and rehabilitation, public protection and reparation. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the independent Sentencing Council.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗