Ford publishes sentencing guidelines consultation

3.21.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 12th Oct 2010

Justice Minister David Ford

Justice Minister David Ford has said that he wants to explore how public confidence in sentencing can be increased

The Minister was speaking today in the Assembly when he launched the public consultation on possible options for a Sentencing Guidelines Mechanism.

The consultation sets out three options for a Sentencing Guidelines Mechanism and will run until January 18.

David Ford said: "The selection of the appropriate sentence in individual cases is a matter for the judiciary. I know how seriously judges take their sentencing responsibilities and it is essential that their independence in making these decisions is maintained.

"Sentencing affects society as a whole and both offenders and victims should expect that crimes of similar nature, committed in similar circumstances, should attract broadly similar sentences.

"We need consistency across a whole range of offences, as even less serious offences have a real impact on victims and communities."

The Minister said that sentencing is an issue on which most people will have an opinion and encouraged them to make their views know to the Department.

He said: "For some, their view is informed by personal experiences of crime, but for most people it is influenced by what they read in the papers and hear on the news. Very little of the everyday work of sentencing in the courts comes to public attention.

"I want to see how public confidence in sentencing can be increased which is why the consultation paper considers a range of issues impacting on confidence and the effective delivery of justice and seeks views on what role a sentencing guidelines mechanism might have in addressing them."