Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help tackle differences in sentencing guidelines that contribute to uses of the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.

Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for our independent judiciary. Sentencers must follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, issued by the Sentencing Council, unless not in the interests of justice to do so. The guidelines provide a structured approach for sentencers to follow and are designed to help enhance consistency and transparency in sentencing.

The Sentencing Council keeps the guidelines under review continuously. Cases will vary widely in seriousness and complexity. Constantly evolving case law also helps to shape and influence how these are applied.

The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme allows Law Officers to ask the Court of Appeal to review exceptional cases where there has been a gross error, or the sentence is unduly lenient.

The Sentencing Council itself is within the policy area of the MOJ and my office, with its public interest role in bringing justice in qualifying cases only, is necessarily independent of it.