Sentencing

A public consultation is seeking views on the introduction of legislation or guidelines on sentence reductions for early guilty pleas in the Northern Ireland criminal courts. Justice minister Naomi Long is considering whether the current system — based on case law — should be revised and

A new book analysing sentencing in cases of serious sexual offences and exploring the factors that influence the decision-making of judges has been formally launched by justice minister Jim O'Callaghan. Sentencing Serious Sex Offenders: How Judges Decide When Discretion is Wide, published by Policy

Northern Ireland prosecutors are to appeal a sentence imposed on a man convicted of sexually exploiting and trafficking vulnerable young women. Oliver MacCormack, 71, was sentenced on 10 April 2025 in Belfast Crown Court to seven years' imprisonment for 40 counts relating to nine female victims.

A public consultation is seeking views on plans to simplify and streamline Northern Ireland's sentencing framework for children. The Department of Justice has proposed to replace the current seven court-ordered community sentences with a new, single order.

The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal against sentence by an individual who was only 14 years of age when he murdered a mother-of-two at the International Financial Services Centre in 2021. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley determined: “A sentencing

The Supreme Court has handed down two significant rulings concerning the sentencing and anonymity of young offenders. Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley gave the judgments in the separate cases of DPP v CC & anor [2025] IESC 11 and DPP v PB [2025] IESC 12 yesterday.

The body responsible for advising judges on criminal sentences in England and Wales has pushed back against the justice secretary’s call to scrap new guidance on sentencing offenders from minority groups. The Sentencing Council said that ministers from both major parties or their representativ

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has provided sentencing guidance on the new offence of "non-fatal strangulation" (NFS). Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Seamus Treacy remarked that “it is the duty of sentencing judges in Northern Ireland to give effect to the

The Court of Appeal has imposed a custodial sentence on ex-Defence Forces member Cathal Crotty having quashed his suspended sentence for savagely attacking Natasha O’Brien in May 2022. Delivering an ex tempore judgment for the Court of Appeal in January, which was published online yesterday, M

Solicitor Patrick Horan explores the science of sentencing. Imagine facing a judge for the same crime in two different courtrooms. In one, you get one year in prison. In the other? Ten years.

Research on sentencing in domestic violence cases before the District Court and a report on the use of community-based sanctions have been published by the Judicial Council. The publication of the reports is a milestone for the Judicial Council's sentencing guidelines and information committee, whic

Community service orders (CSOs) are not succeeding in providing an alternative to short prison sentences, according to new research published by the Department of Justice. Dr Niamh Maguire of South East Technological University (SETU) and Professor Nicola Carr of the University of Nottingham were co

Former Conservative justice minister David Gauke has been appointed by the UK's Labour government to lead a major sentencing review. The review comes as around 1,100 prisoners are to be released in England and Wales in a bid to ease prison overcrowding.

Legislation dis-applying the mandatory life sentence for a child who commits murder but turns 18 years old before sentencing has been signed into law. The Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2024 was fast-tracked through the Oireachtas in response to a High Court ruling which found that the existing mu

Maximum prison sentences for various knife-related offences have been increased with effect from today. A commencement order has given effect to Part 9 of the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024, which amends the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1