Legislation – Sentencing Act 2026

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Introduction

Part 1
Sentencing

1 Presumption of suspended sentence order for sentences of 12 months or less

2 Custodial sentences that may be suspended

3 Income reduction orders

4 Purposes of sentencing

5 Date to which passing of sentence may be deferred

6 Finding of domestic abuse

7 Special custodial sentence for certain offenders of particular concern: England and Wales

8 Sentence with fixed licence period: Scotland

9 Sentence with fixed licence period: Northern Ireland

10 Corresponding provision under service law

11 Whole life order: murder of police, prison or probation officer

12 Removal of requirement to specify maximum number of days

13 Rehabilitation activity requirement renamed probation requirement

14 Driving prohibition requirement

15 Public event attendance prohibition requirement

16 Drinking establishment entry prohibition requirement

17 Restriction zone requirement

18 Power to add or alter requirements

19 Sentencing Council business plan

20 Sentencing guidelines

21 Annual report relating to prison capacity

22 Provision of transcripts of sentencing remarks to victims

Part 2
Management of offenders after sentencing

23 Release

24 Release: consequential amendments relating to driving disqualification

25 Release on licence of certain violent or sexual offenders: service offences

26 Limitation of provisions about home detention curfew

27 Licence conditions

28 Licence conditions: offenders sentenced under repealed armed forces legislation

29 Power to make provision about recall to prison

30 Further release after recall: introductory

31 Further release after recall: relevant young offenders suitable for automatic release

32 Further release after recall: other offenders eligible for automatic release

33 Further release after recall: supplementary

34 Repeal of provisions relating to supervision after end of sentence

35 Early removal of prisoners liable to removal from United Kingdom

36 Removal of maximum period for unpaid work requirement

37 Number of hours of work required by unpaid work requirement

38 Termination of community order

39 Termination of supervision period of suspended sentence order

40 Rules about the proceedings of the Parole Board

41 Application of provisions about release etc to certain repatriated prisoners

42 Imprisonment or detention for public protection: termination of licences

43 Powers of High Court on referral

Part 3
Bail

44 Amendments to Bail Act 1976

Part 4
Foreign criminals

45 Deportation of foreign criminals

Part 5
General

46 Power to make consequential provision

47 Power to state effect in Sentencing Act 2020 of commencement of amendments made by this Act

48 Extent

49 Commencement

50 Short title

SCHEDULES

Schedule 1 Presumption of suspended sentence order: consequential provision

Schedule 2 Sentence with fixed licence period in Scotland or Northern Ireland: consequential provision

Schedule 3 Corresponding provision about sentencing under service law: sentences for offenders of particular concern

Schedule 4 Offences where offender not eligible for automatic release under section 255BA after recall

Schedule 5 Repeal of provisions relating to supervision after end of sentence: consequential provision

Changes to legislation:

Sentencing Act 2026, Schedule 4 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 04 March 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

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Schedules

Schedule 4Offences where offender not eligible for automatic release under section 255BA after recall

Section 30(4)

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I1Sch. 4 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 49(1)

This is the Schedule to be inserted in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 after Schedule 19ZA—

“Schedule 19ZBOffences where offender not eligible for release at the end of the section 255BA automatic release period

Section 255A(8)(d)

Official Secrets Act 1911

1

An offence under section 7 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 (harbouring spies).

Official Secrets Act 1989

2

An offence under the Official Secrets Act 1989 other than an offence under section 8(1), (4) or (5).

Terrorism Act 2000

3

An offence under any of the following provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000

(a)

section 13 (uniform and publication of images);

(b)

section 21D (tipping off: regulated sector);

(c)

section 36(2) (failure to comply with an order, etc of constable in connection with terrorist investigation);

(d)

section 51(2) (failure to move a vehicle when required to do so);

(e)

section 116(3) (failure to stop a vehicle when required to do so);

(f)

section 120B (offences in relation to counter-terrorism financial investigators);

(g)

in Schedule 5 (terrorist investigations: information)—

(i)

paragraph 3(7) (wilfully obstructing a search of a cordoned area);

(ii)

paragraph 14 (making a false or misleading statement in connection with a terrorist investigation);

(iii)

paragraph 15(4) (wilfully obstructing an urgent search);

(iv)

paragraph 16(3) (failure to comply with an urgent explanation notice: England and Wales and Northern Ireland);

(v)

paragraph 32(3) (failure to comply with an urgent explanation notice: Scotland);

(h)

in Schedule 5A (terrorist financing investigations: disclosure orders)—

(i)

paragraph 11 (failure to comply with disclosure order or making false or misleading statement in purported compliance: England and Wales and Northern Ireland);

(ii)

paragraph 21 (failure to comply with disclosure order or making false or misleading statement in purported compliance: Scotland);

(i)

paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 6 (failure to comply with requirement to provide financial information);

(j)

paragraph 18 of Schedule 7 (port and border controls: failure to comply with duty, etc).

Counter-Terrorism Act 2008

4

An offence under any of the following provisions of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008

(a)

paragraph 15 of Schedule 5 (breach of foreign travel restriction order);

(b)

in Schedule 7 (terrorist financing and money laundering)—

(i)

paragraph 30 (failure to comply with requirement imposed by direction);

(ii)

paragraph 30A (circumvention of requirement imposed by direction);

(iii)

paragraph 31 (offences in connection with licences).

Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015

5

An offence under paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (failure to hand over travel documents or hindering a search).

Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019

6

An offence under paragraph 23 of Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 (failure to comply with a duty relating to border security or obstructing a search).

National Security Act 2023

7

An offence under any of the following provisions of the National Security Act 2023

(a)

section 5(1) (unauthorised entry to a prohibited place);

(b)

section 6(4) (failure to comply with instructions of constable around a prohibited place);

(c)

section 11(4) (failure to comply with police cordon);

(d)

section 69(5) (requirement to register foreign influence arrangements);

(e)

section 71(2) or (3) (carrying out political influence activities pursuant to unregistered foreign influence arrangement);

(f)

section 72(6) (failure to register political influence activities of foreign powers);

(g)

section 74(8) committed in relation to a foreign influence arrangement registered under section 69 or a political influence activity registered under section 72 (failure to submit material change in relation to foreign influence arrangement or political influence activity registrations);

(h)

section 75(8) committed in relation to an information notice given under section 75(2) (failure to comply with a requirement to provide information);

(i)

section 77(3) or (4) (providing false information);

(j)

section 78(2) (carrying out activities under arrangements tainted by false information);

(k)

in Schedule 2 (powers of entry, search and seizure)—

(i)

paragraph 11(1) (providing false or misleading response to an order requiring explanation of material);

(ii)

paragraph 12(5) (wilfully obstructing an urgent search);

(iii)

paragraph 14(3) (failure to comply with an urgent notice);

(l)

in Schedule 3 (disclosure orders)—

(i)

paragraph 7(1) (failure to comply with a disclosure order);

(ii)

paragraph 7(3) (making a false or misleading statement in response to a disclosure order);

(m)

paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 4 (failure to comply with a customer information order).

Acting for foreign power

8

An offence in relation to which, under section 20 of the National Security Act 2023 (aggravating factor where foreign power condition met: Northern Ireland), the foreign power condition has been determined to have been met in relation to the conduct that constituted the offence.

9

An offence to which section 21 of that Act applies (aggravating factor where foreign power condition met: Scotland).

Inchoate offences

10

An attempt to commit an offence specified in a preceding paragraph of this Schedule (“a listed offence”).

11

Conspiracy to commit a listed offence.

12

An offence under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 in relation to which a listed offence is the offence (or one of the offences) which the person intended or believed would be committed.

13

Incitement to commit a listed offence.

14

Aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of a listed offence.

Service offences

15

(1)

A reference in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Schedule to an offence (“offence A”) includes—

(a)

a reference to an offence under section 70 of the Army Act 1955 or section 70 of the Air Force Act 1955 as respects which the corresponding civil offence (within the meaning of that Act) is offence A,

(b)

a reference to an offence under section 42 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 as respects which the civil offence (within the meaning given by that section) is offence A, and

(c)

a reference to an offence under section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 as respects which the corresponding offence under the law of England and Wales (within the meaning given by that section) is offence A.

(2)

Section 48 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (attempts etc. outside England and Wales) applies for the purposes of paragraph (c) of sub-paragraph (1) as if the reference in subsection (3)(b) to any of the following provisions of that Act were a reference to that paragraph.”