Policy paper

Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill

Information relating to the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill which was introduced to the House of Commons on 1 April 2025.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill

Details

The aim of this Bill is to prevent potential differential treatment arising from the Sentencing Council’s Imposition guidelines, reinforce equal access to pre-sentence reports and support consistency in application across all demographic groups. It seeks to address concerns regarding the part of the guidance on the use of pre-sentence reports (‘PSRs’), contained in the draft Imposition of community and custodial sentences guideline (the ‘Guideline’), which refer to particular ‘cohorts’ of offenders for whom a PSR will ‘normally be considered necessary’, and to prevent the Sentencing Council from reissuing guidance to the same effect.

Updates to this page

Published 9 April 2025

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