Law Weblog

CJA 2003 sentencing measures, which will come into effect on 4 April:

Wednesday 9 February 2005 at 7:04 pm | In News | Post Comment

Public protection sentences – aimed specifically at sexual and violent offenders, which will ensure that those considered to be a risk can only ever be released on the recommendation of the parole board and if the level of risk never becomes acceptable, they may never be released.

All other sentences of 12 months and over – all offenders not on a public protection sentence will be released into the community under licence conditions halfway through their sentence, but supervision in the community will continue to the end of the entire sentence, rather than to the three quarters point as now.

The new community order – giving sentencers a much greater degree of flexibility in putting together tough community sentences that will be tailored to the needs of offenders and the seriousness of their offence.

Custody Minus – a new suspended sentence, allowing the court to impose community requirements together with a suspended custodial sentence, which is activated if the offender breaches the community period.

Home Office press release here