Guidelines to download
You will find below an alphabetical list of all definitive sentencing guidelines.
If you would like copies of archived guidelines please contact us.
- Assault [PDF 0.22mb] - Definitive guideline on assault offences effective from 13 June 2011
- Attempted Murder [PDF 0.18mb] - relates to the single offence of attempted murder.
- Breach of a Protective Order [PDF 0.07mb] - deals with sentencing offenders who have breached either a restraining order or a non-molestation order.
- Breach of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order [PDF 0.33mb] - deals with offenders who have breached an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO). This guideline applies to the sentencing of adult and young offenders.
- Burglary offences [PDF 0.15mb] - Definitive guideline on burglary offences effective from 16 January 2012.
- Causing Death by Driving [PDF 0.36mb] - covers four offences
- Corporate Manslaughter and Health and Safety Offences Causing Death [PDF 0.26mb] - relates to sentencing organisations (rather than individuals) for the offences of corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences causing death.
- Drug offences [PDF 0.25mb] - Definitive guideline on drug offences effective from 27 February 2012. Corrected version - 6 March 2012.
- Failure to Surrender to Bail [PDF 0.92mb] - assists sentencers when sentencing offenders who have failed to surrender to bail.
- Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Guidelines [PDF 2.86mb] - Updated in March 2012 to incorporate revised 'Explanatory material' from Update 7. Covers most of the offences that regularly come before a magistrates’ court which require decisions on allocation or sentence. Additional notes:
- Manslaughter by Reason of Provocation [PDF 0.17mb] - relates to the sentencing of an offender for the offence of manslaughter by reason of provocation.
- New Sentences: Criminal Justice Act 2003 [PDF 0.12mb] - relates to aspects of the sentencing framework introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
- Overarching Principles: Assaults on Children and Cruelty to a Child [PDF 0.28mb] - Part 1 includes principles relevant to sentencing in cases involving assaults on children. Part 2 provides guidance in relation to the offence of cruelty to a child.
- Overarching Principles: Domestic Violence [PDF 0.12mb] - identifies principles relevant to offences committed in a domestic context.
- Overarching Principles: Sentencing Youths [PDF 0.26mb] - sets out the principles applicable when sentencing young offenders.
- Overarching Principles: Seriousness [PDF 0.14mb] - when determining the appropriate sentence the sentencer must consider the seriousness of the offence. This guideline assists the courts in the determination of seriousness.
- Reduction in Sentence for a Guilty Plea (Revised 2007) [PDF 0.20mb] - provides guidance to sentencers on the reduction in sentence for a guilty plea.
- Robbery [PDF 0.24mb] - Part 1 covers three types of robbery. The guideline covers the sentencing of adult and young offenders. For other types of robbery, the relevant Court of Appeal guidance should be applied, which is summarised in Part 2.
- Sentencing for Fraud – Statutory Offences [PDF 0.40mb] - applies to sentencing offenders for the statutory offences of fraud. It does not cover the common law offences of cheating the public revenue or conspiracy to defraud.
- Sexual Offences Act 2003 [PDF 1.63mb] - relates to the sentencing of offenders for a number of sexual offences contained in the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
- Theft and Burglary in a Building other than a Dwelling [PDF 0.37mb] - covers four forms of theft. The sentencing guidelines in this document on burglary in a building other than a dwelling are no longer effective; sentencing guidelines for this offence are now contained in 'Burglary offences' effective from 16 January 2012.