Crime brief

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 received Royal Assent on 8 May 2008. A number of provisions will come into force over the next two months, with many more changes anticipated during the next 12 months. This month’s Crime Brief details the main changes expected to take place in June and July 2008.

S 10: clarification of threshold for imposing a community sentence

Amends s 148 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA 2003) to make clear that just because a community sentence may be passed in relation to an offence; or particular restrictions on liberty may be imposed by a community order or youth rehabilitation order, it does not require a court to pass such a sentence or to impose those restrictions.

S 11: restriction on imposing community sentences

The power to impose community penalties will be restricted to imprisonable offences, or offenders aged over 16 years who have on three or more occasions been sentenced to only a fine.

S 12: pre-sentence reports