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Most sentence increases under ULS “for sexual offences” (25 August 2016)

Date: 25/08/2016
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Most sentence increases under ULS “for sexual offences”

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has announced that, in 2015, more than 100 offenders had their prison sentences lengthened following referrals by the Attorney and Solicitor General to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

New statistics released on Wednesday (24/08/16) show that the AGO received 713 requests for sentences to be reviewed under the ULS scheme in 2015 – of those, a total of 136 were referred by the AGO to the Court of Appeal as potentially unduly lenient, with the Court agreeing to increase the original sentence for 102 offenders.

Of the 102 offenders who had their sentences increased, these related to crimes involving sexual offences (38), robbery (18), firearms offences (14),murder or manslaughter (5), grievous bodily harm (6), burglary (5), drug offences (4), causing death by dangerous driving (2), arson (1) and other offences (9).

Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC MP said:

“While in the vast majority of cases sentencing judges get it right, the ULS scheme is essential in ensuring victims, family members of victims and the general public are able to request that sentences they think are unduly lenient can be reviewed – and, where necessary, increased.”

AGO says that 102 cases resulting in sentence increases is a small proportion of the 80,000 Crown Court cases heard each year – but the ULS scheme is there to allow adjustment of those sentences where an increase is warranted.

Anyone can ask the AGO to look at sentences passed in a Crown Court in England and Wales for named offences, if they think the sentence is too lenient.

The number of sentences considered by the Attorney General’s Office has increased by more than 108% since 2010 – from 342 sentences to 713 in 2015.

During the same period, referrals by the Attorney General’s Office to the Court of Appeal resulting in sentence increases rose slightly from 90 to 102.

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