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Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act Implementation

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 is being implemented by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, with ongoing scrutiny of its effectiveness in reducing reoffending and protecting the public. Current focus includes assessment of bail conditions, sentencing guidelines for community and custodial sentences, and the broader criminal justice response to crime and anti-social behaviour.

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2026

8 events
28 Apr 2026 | Written question Ministry of Justice linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of bail conditions in reducing reoffending and protecting the public in cases involving persons under the ag

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of bail conditions in reducing reoffending and protecting the public in cases involving persons under the age of 18 accused of violent offences.

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24 Apr 2026 | Written question Ministry of Justice linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the proven reoffending rate is for the adult cohort convicted of shoplifting offences who had been given a suspended sentence or any other non-custodial

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the proven reoffending rate is for the adult cohort convicted of shoplifting offences who had been given a suspended sentence or any other non-custodial sentence within the last five years.

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2025

3 events
14 Apr 2025 | Committee report linked

The joint working, supported by the Government, between the police and the criminal justice system was essential in bringing about swift justice to the perpetrators of the disorder. This helped to prevent further disorder. However, we agree with the Policing Minister that it is not right for other serious crimes to see significant delays to justice. The Government’s broader ambitions to reduce crime will require better long-term alignment between Home Office policies on crime and policing and...

The joint working, supported by the Government, between the police and the criminal justice system was essential in bringing about swift justice to the perpetrators of the disorder. This helped to prevent further disorder. However, we agree with the Policing …

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5 Mar 2025 | Committee report linked

MoJ attributed the increasing backlog to a “significant increase” in the rate of new cases as a result of the recruitment of over 20,000 additional police officers since 2019, and to a change in the nature of the caseload to more complex cases.43 MoJ claimed that since the pandemic it has become harder to make accurate forecasts about demand in the Crown Court, although it believes its forecasts are improving.44 HMCTS pointed in particular to the changing proportion of the overall caseload th...

MoJ attributed the increasing backlog to a “significant increase” in the rate of new cases as a result of the recruitment of over 20,000 additional police officers since 2019, and to a change in the nature of the caseload to …

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2023

7 events
10 Nov 2023 | Committee report linked

We restate the previous Home Affairs Committee’s recommendation from its 2018 report into Domestic Abuse, that “immigration status must not bar victims of abuse from protection and access to justice.” We concur with the Women and Equalities Committee’s recommendation that the Government “establish an appropriate firewall- type mechanism between the police and the Home Office to prevent data sharing for the purposes of enforcing immigration rules against victims of abuse.” As that Committee 66...

We restate the previous Home Affairs Committee’s recommendation from its 2018 report into Domestic Abuse, that “immigration status must not bar victims of abuse from protection and access to justice.” We concur with the Women and Equalities Committee’s recommendation that …

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10 Nov 2023 | Committee report linked

We recommend the Home Office work, in collaboration with the NPCC, to put more incentives in place for alternative disposals to charging and prosecuting individuals in court, where they have been proved effective and better fit with victims’ needs and wants. If alternative disposals can speed up the delivery of the justice to which victims and survivors are entitled, while reducing court backlogs, everyone benefits. (Paragraph 226) Policing priorities 71

We recommend the Home Office work, in collaboration with the NPCC, to put more incentives in place for alternative disposals to charging and prosecuting individuals in court, where they have been proved effective and better fit with victims’ needs and …

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25 Oct 2023 | Committee report linked

The Sentencing Council should provide independent and impartial analysis on significant trends in sentencing to inform public debate and government policy.

The Sentencing Council should provide independent and impartial analysis on significant trends in sentencing to inform public debate and government policy. Type: conclusion | Number: 6 | Paragraph: 43 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: As the Committee will be …

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25 Oct 2023 | Committee report linked

Data on sentencing in individual courts will help the public to understand sentencing trends in their local area and is likely to help to stimulate local media interest and reporting. The Sentencing Council and the Ministry of Justice should work together to ensure that the statutory duty to publish information on sentencing in individual courts is fulfilled. We would ask that the Ministry of Justice and the Sentencing Council provide an update on what progress has been made on fulfilling thi...

Data on sentencing in individual courts will help the public to understand sentencing trends in their local area and is likely to help to stimulate local media interest and reporting. The Sentencing Council and the Ministry of Justice should work …

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25 Oct 2023 | Committee report linked

Our polling on the public’s view on the appropriate starting points for specific offences suggests that a majority would support increases in the severity of the relevant custodial sentences. This position is also supported by much of the research into public opinion cited in the evidence submitted to this inquiry. This potential gap between public opinion on sentencing and actual practice indicated by the evidence we received highlights the need for in-depth analysis of the public’s view of ...

Our polling on the public’s view on the appropriate starting points for specific offences suggests that a majority would support increases in the severity of the relevant custodial sentences. This position is also supported by much of the research into …

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25 Oct 2023 | Committee report linked

Under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, the Lord Chancellor can refer a government policy proposal, or a government proposal for legislation, to the Sentencing Council for an assessment of the implications for prison resources. In practice, there has only been one request made under this power by a Lord Chancellor, and the Council does not believe it is well placed to undertake such assessments. The Ministry of Justice does carry out its own impact assessments, but these are not independent....

Under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, the Lord Chancellor can refer a government policy proposal, or a government proposal for legislation, to the Sentencing Council for an assessment of the implications for prison resources. In practice, there has only …

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25 Oct 2023 | Written evidence linked

The Sentencing Council should be empowered to do more to encourage public engagement with its consultations on draft guidelines. For example, it should explore whether it could use the approach of using online questionnaires adopted by the Sentencing Guidelines Commission in the Netherlands to encourage more responses from the public to their consultations. Online questionnaires would appear to be a more accessible form of engagement than a simple call for written evidence. We would also reco...

The Sentencing Council should be empowered to do more to encourage public engagement with its consultations on draft guidelines. For example, it should explore whether it could use the approach of using online questionnaires adopted by the Sentencing Guidelines Commission …

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2022

17 events
21 Oct 2022 | Committee report linked

HMPPS launched alcohol monitoring services in October 2020 for offenders sentenced in the community. In November 2021 and June 2022, it extended the scheme to include those leaving prison, in Wales and in England respectively. Alcohol tags measure alcohol concentration in sweat and send an alert if the wearer has consumed alcohol. As at March 2021, 900 offenders were tagged as part of the alcohol monitoring service. HMPPS forecast that there will be around 1,900 individuals once the scheme ha...

HMPPS launched alcohol monitoring services in October 2020 for offenders sentenced in the community. In November 2021 and June 2022, it extended the scheme to include those leaving prison, in Wales and in England respectively. Alcohol tags measure alcohol concentration …

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30 Sep 2022 | Committee report linked

We call for an immediate end to the sharing of victims’ and witnesses’ data between the police and the Home Office for immigration enforcement purposes and the introduction of a complete firewall for those groups. We recommend that the draft Bill includes a provision stating that victims’ and witnesses’ data cannot be shared by the police with Immigration Enforcement and that entitlements in the Code will not be restricted on the basis of immigration status. (Paragraph 22) Clauses 2 to 4, the...

We call for an immediate end to the sharing of victims’ and witnesses’ data between the police and the Home Office for immigration enforcement purposes and the introduction of a complete firewall for those groups. We recommend that the draft …

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28 Sep 2022 | Committee report linked

We have not sought to set out the terms of the proposed legislation to enable the resentencing exercise, which will ultimately be for Parliament to consider. We do, however, recommend that it should comply with the key principles that we set out below. We also appreciate that establishing a resentencing exercise will be administratively complex. Accordingly, we recommend that the Government set up a time-limited small expert committee to advise on the practical implementation of the resentenc...

We have not sought to set out the terms of the proposed legislation to enable the resentencing exercise, which will ultimately be for Parliament to consider. We do, however, recommend that it should comply with the key principles that we …

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26 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

We welcome the Government’s intention through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, to reform the Out of Court Disposals framework. We recommend that the Government set out how it will prioritise gender-specific diversionary routes as part of its plans to improve OOCDs. The Ministry of Justice should also set out how it will measure the success of the new OOCDs, and how it will specifically measure outcomes for women.

We welcome the Government’s intention through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, to reform the Out of Court Disposals framework. We recommend that the Government set out how it will prioritise gender-specific diversionary routes as part of its …

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26 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

The Ministry of Justice and NHSE/I should set out what financial investment is being made in developing women’s pathways and how this money will be spent to ensure that women’s pathways are being enhanced across all liaison and diversion services. The MoJ and NHSE/I should also set out a timeframe for when they expect all women’s pathways to be fully operational.

The Ministry of Justice and NHSE/I should set out what financial investment is being made in developing women’s pathways and how this money will be spent to ensure that women’s pathways are being enhanced across all liaison and diversion services. …

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26 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

We recommend that the Sentencing Council considers whether an overarching guideline or guidance for sentencing female offenders is required.

We recommend that the Sentencing Council considers whether an overarching guideline or guidance for sentencing female offenders is required. Type: recommendation | Number: 7 | Paragraph: 49 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: We do not accept the recommendation, but …

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26 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

The Ministry of Justice should set out what work it is doing with the judiciary to ensure that they have all the relevant and necessary information to inform sentencing decisions. The MoJ should also set out what work is being done to ensure that community sentences offer a credible alternative to custody. Furthermore, we recommend that the MoJ seek the views of the judiciary on ways to improve community alternatives and increase confidence.

The Ministry of Justice should set out what work it is doing with the judiciary to ensure that they have all the relevant and necessary information to inform sentencing decisions. The MoJ should also set out what work is being …

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26 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

Pre-sentence reports (PSRs) provide the opportunity for a more personalised response to offending in order to support effective sentencing. We are concerned to see that the number of reports has declined substantially over the last 10 years. We welcome the work that the Ministry of Justice is doing to improve the quality of PSRs; however, it is less clear what work is being done to increase their use. The Ministry of Justice should evaluate why the number of pre-sentence reports has declined ...

Pre-sentence reports (PSRs) provide the opportunity for a more personalised response to offending in order to support effective sentencing. We are concerned to see that the number of reports has declined substantially over the last 10 years. We welcome the …

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26 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

Regarding the pre-sentence report pilot, the Ministry of Justice should set out how it will measure the success of this pilot, and the criteria it will use to determine whether to expand the initiative. The MoJ should also set out what its targets are for the number of women who will receive a fuller pre-sentence report under the pilot, and at the end of the pilot period, it should publish an evaluation of the pilot. The MoJ should include in its evaluation the outcomes for ethnic minorities,...

Regarding the pre-sentence report pilot, the Ministry of Justice should set out how it will measure the success of this pilot, and the criteria it will use to determine whether to expand the initiative. The MoJ should also set out …

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26 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

Women on short sentences face significant challenges regarding resettlement. We welcome the introduction of the short sentence function; however, it is not clear how this works in practice to address the needs of female offenders on short sentences. We note that there have been early adopters of this function, and learning from this will inform the longer-term approach. The MoJ and HMPPS should set out when this function will be rolled out across all probation regions, and what work the Short...

Women on short sentences face significant challenges regarding resettlement. We welcome the introduction of the short sentence function; however, it is not clear how this works in practice to address the needs of female offenders on short sentences. We note …

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28 Apr 2022 | Committee report linked

Effective implementation of the strategy has been undermined by insufficient joined-up working. Working across government is always challenging and the Ministry is reliant on many other bodies for the female offender programme to 6 Improving outcomes for women in the criminal justice system be successful. For example, the NHS, several government departments, local authorities and the voluntary sector have key roles in providing treatment for mental health problems and addiction, support to es...

Effective implementation of the strategy has been undermined by insufficient joined-up working. Working across government is always challenging and the Ministry is reliant on many other bodies for the female offender programme to 6 Improving outcomes for women in the …

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28 Apr 2022 | Committee report linked

It is not clear how Parliament, the public and other stakeholders can hold the Ministry to account for delivery of the strategy’s commitments. The Ministry’s decision not to set targets affects not only its ability to make good funding decisions, (see conclusion 2 above), but also makes it difficult to hold the Ministry to account. This is compounded by the way the Ministry implemented the strategy. It did not set out clearly how the female offender programme’s progress could be measured. Col...

It is not clear how Parliament, the public and other stakeholders can hold the Ministry to account for delivery of the strategy’s commitments. The Ministry’s decision not to set targets affects not only its ability to make good funding decisions, …

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28 Apr 2022 | Committee report linked

The Ministry does not yet know the effectiveness of its interventions, or whether it is achieving its aims. This limits its ability to identify and share best practice and to understand where it needs to invest to achieve its aims. It is now almost four years since the Ministry published its Female Offender Strategy and it still does not have a plan for how it will monitor and evaluate the work it is doing to achieve its aims. The Ministry says it now recognises the importance of having the d...

The Ministry does not yet know the effectiveness of its interventions, or whether it is achieving its aims. This limits its ability to identify and share best practice and to understand where it needs to invest to achieve its aims. …

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28 Apr 2022 | Committee report linked

We were told of several good practice examples where many different agencies worked together to help women with multiple problems. These include the ‘one-stop-shop model’ that women’s centres try to adopt.29 The Ministry told us about ‘problem solving courts’ where packages of support and oversight are tailored for individual women.30 The Howard 20 Qq 3, 12 21 Qq 4, 5; C&AG’s Report, para 1.9 22 Q 39 23 Q 37 24 C&AG’s Report para 17 25 Qq 38, 40 26 Q 46; C&AG’s Report, paras 3 and 1.8, and Fi...

We were told of several good practice examples where many different agencies worked together to help women with multiple problems. These include the ‘one-stop-shop model’ that women’s centres try to adopt.29 The Ministry told us about ‘problem solving courts’ where …

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28 Apr 2022 | Committee report linked

There are many examples of local good practice where organisations work together to help women turn their lives around.64 We asked the Ministry how it is going to identify and disseminate best practice. The Ministry told us that its ‘one-year-on’ report on the concordat will set out some of the joined-up work it has been doing and where best practice exists and that it will then want to further invest in that.65 57 Q 30 58 Q 31 59 Qq 44- 46 60 Qq 31, 45 61 Qq 44–45, 64, 82 62 C&AG’s Report, p...

There are many examples of local good practice where organisations work together to help women turn their lives around.64 We asked the Ministry how it is going to identify and disseminate best practice. The Ministry told us that its ‘one-year-on’ …

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27 Apr 2022 | Committee report linked

The Committee supports the decision to increase the sentencing power of magistrates. The Government should conduct a review of the change 12 months after it has come into force and evaluate its effect on the workload of the Crown Court. (Paragraph 83) The case for a Royal Commission on the criminal justice system

The Committee supports the decision to increase the sentencing power of magistrates. The Government should conduct a review of the change 12 months after it has come into force and evaluate its effect on the workload of the Crown Court. …

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9 Mar 2022 | Committee report linked

We asked HMCTS what progress it had made on implementing Dr Natalie Byrom’s recommendations on digital justice and data.44 HMCTS told us it had set up a senior data governance panel to provide advice on the accessibility of data and will announce in early 2022 what data it intends to publish and make available. In its written submission, the Legal Education Foundation expressed frustration at the lack of progress on implementing Dr Byrom’s recommendations.45 In particular, HMCTS’s progress ha...

We asked HMCTS what progress it had made on implementing Dr Natalie Byrom’s recommendations on digital justice and data.44 HMCTS told us it had set up a senior data governance panel to provide advice on the accessibility of data and …

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2021

2 events
7 Dec 2021 | Written question Home Office linked

Police: Females

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase women's confidence in the Police. Answer: The Government is committed to do everything in its power to deliver improvements within policing and …

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23 Apr 2021 | Committee report linked

Confidence in non-custodial sentencing among judges and magistrates - and, by implication, the public - will rise only if the suitability and effectiveness of such sanctions are improved. More needs to be done to address the range of issues that cause offending and, in particular in this context, reoffending after both custodial and non-custodial sentences. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently progressing through Parliament offers a substantial opportunity to increase publi...

Confidence in non-custodial sentencing among judges and magistrates - and, by implication, the public - will rise only if the suitability and effectiveness of such sanctions are improved. More needs to be done to address the range of issues that …

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2019

2 events
23 May 2019 | Written question Ministry of Justice linked

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which of the 18 recommendations contained in the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse Interim Report his Department has implemented. Answer: The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published its Interim Report on …

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23 May 2019 | Written question Ministry of Justice linked

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which of the 18 recommendations in the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse Interim Report his Department plans to implement. Answer: The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published its Interim Report on …

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