Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Tenth Report - Public opinion and understanding of sentencing
Justice Committee
HC 305
Published 25 October 2023
Recommendations
11
Accepted in Part
Para 58
Amend Victims’ Code to provide victims with free access to sentencing remarks.
Recommendation
The current situation where victims have to pay significant sums to receive a transcript of sentencing remarks from the Crown Court is unsustainable. We reiterate our call for all sentencing remarks to be published (subject to the relevant legal restrictions). …
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Government Response Summary
The government has committed to a one-year trial allowing victims of rape and serious sexual offences to receive sentencing remarks free of charge, and is working to increase online publication of judgments. However, it explicitly rejected the recommendation for all victims to receive free sentencing remarks due to financial implications.
Ministry of Justice
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13
Accepted in Part
Provide offenders, including children, with comprehensive information on sentencing and pre-sentence reports.
Recommendation
It is important that offenders understand the sentence they are to serve. Offenders should have ready access to information about the sentencing process, including information about pre-sentence reports at the earliest possible stage. Following sentencing, they should have ready access …
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Government Response Summary
The government outlines an ongoing ‘Pathfinder to Improved Pre-Sentence Advice’ (PIPA) project aimed at increasing the volume and quality of Pre-Sentence Reports. However, the response does not address providing offenders with ready access to general sentencing information or hard copies of sentencing remarks.
Ministry of Justice
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