Commission to recommend sentencing guidelines
Guidelines would cover every crime
The Sentencing Commission is recommend to ministers new legislation which would put an end to different sentences for the same crime.
The commission's report, expected to be published in August, sets out plans thast would allow the Appeal Court to set guidelines on sentences for crime. The court would be advised by a panel of sentencing experts. It would have the final say on what, if any, guidelines should be introduced. Ministers would not be allowed to interfere with its decisions.
At present, only a small number of crimes - such as murder - carry a mandatory sentence. Sentences are decided by individual judges and the length and kind of sentence is based on common law precedent.
The commission looked at sentencing in different countries before writing its report. One of these was New Zealand, which has comprehensive sentencing guidelines for every crime.
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