Prison sentences for the unlawful killing of an emergency worker
while on duty are to be considered as part of a wide-ranging
Review of Sentencing Policy, announced today by Justice Minister
.
The Review will also look at the legislative framework for
certain categories of crime, including serious sexual crimes,
drugs, fireworks, animal welfare and environmental offences. The
use of use of ‘good character' evidence in court cases will also
be considered, as will sentencing guidelines mechanisms and
recent developments in other jurisdictions.
Recommendations from the Review will then go out to public
consultation.
Minister Long said: “Sentencing is a vital part of the justice
system in Northern Ireland. It often involves complex
considerations and requires a delicate balance to be struck
between the rights of defendants on the one hand and the needs
and expectations of victims and the public generally on the
other.
“This challenging task is performed by a skilled judiciary whose
job is to deliver fair and appropriate sentences independently of
government in every case which comes before the criminal courts.
The role of government is to provide a flexible and robust
sentencing framework which is fit for purpose and within which
the judiciary can exercise its judicial function effectively.”
Minister Long added: “The aim of this Review is to identify
proposals to strengthen the sentencing framework in relation to
particular types of offences, to ensure that it continues to be
effective and proportionate. The Review will also consider the
extent to which current arrangements represent an effective
sentencing guidelines mechanism and explore the need for reform
in Northern Ireland.
“The review will also take account of recent developments in
sentencing policy in other jurisdictions, including England and
Wales, and identify potential options for equivalent reform in
Northern Ireland.”
The review can be viewed at Written Ministerial Statement –
Launch of the Review of Sentencing Policy | Department of
Justice
Notes to editors:
- The Review will consider the appropriateness of the current
legislative framework governing:
- good character evidence;
- serious sexual offences;
- drug-related offences;
- the unlawful killing (ie manslaughter of) an emergency
worker acting in the exercise of their functions;
- Firework offences;
- Animal welfare offences; and
- Environmental crime.
2. The Review will also consider the extent to which current
arrangements represent an effective sentencing guidelines
mechanism and explore the need for reform in Northern Ireland.
3. The Review will also take account of recent developments in
sentencing policy in other jurisdictions, including England and
Wales, and identify potential options for equivalent reform in
Northern Ireland.
4. The Department plans to engage with relevant stakeholders to
inform policy development, and any policy proposals arising from
the Review will be subject to public consultation.
5. Separately, the Department also plans to introduce a draft
Sentencing Bill to the Assembly in early 2026, to give effect to
the recommendations arising from the Department's last Sentencing
Policy Review, as well as to legislate to introduce Charlotte's
Law and a statutory aggravator for hate crime.
