Letter from Home Secretary to SGC on custody plus
31 May 2006
In March this year, the Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC) - an independent body comprising members of the judiciary, police, legal professions and those with substantial experience of promoting the interests of victims - published draft guidelines for the new sentence of 12 months imprisonment or less (known as "custody plus"), which was part of the sentencing provisions in the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
The Home Secretary has now responded to the draft guideline for the Government. His letter was agreed with the Lord Chancellor and Attorney General. The response broadly accepts the proposed guideline. It suggests a smaller number of amendments to the text, mainly of detail.
A full copy of the letter can be downloaded from the right hand side of this page. The Sentencing Guidelines Council will finalise the guidelines later this year.