New Sentencing Guidelines on Assault - All You Need to Know

Introduction

The Sentencing Council has issued guidelines concerning assaults - ranging from common assault at the lowest end of the spectrum all the way through to attempted murder.

The guidelines come into force and will affect any adult sentenced on or after 1 July 2021 regardless of the date of the offence and regardless of the date of the conviction.

This webinar is a must for all those involved with the criminal justice process and especially those who are prosecuting and defending clients.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Common assault/racially or religiously aggravated common assault
• Sentencing under the dangerous offender provisions of the Sentencing Code 2020 - a consideration of all of the offences within the guidelines in this area
• Common assault on an emergency worker - police constables etc.
• Categories 1, 2 and 3 - starting points and category range - an examination of how the sentencing process is to be conducted
• Assault with intent to resist arrest
• Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
• Racially or religiously aggravated ABH
• Inflicting grievous bodily harm/unlawful wounding - section 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861
• Racially or religiously aggravated grievous bodily harm/unlawful wounding
• Causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm/wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm - section 18 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861
• Attempted murder
• Special sentence for ‘offenders of particular concern’
• Working out the quantum of sentence when dealing with children (10 - 13) and young people (14 - 17)
• Credit for a guilty plea and the 2021 Court of Appeal decision of PLAKU/PLAKU/BOURDON and SMITH

This webinar was recorded on 11th November 2021