Legislation – Sentencing Act 2026

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

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28 Licence conditions: offenders sentenced under repealed armed forces legislation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

49 Commencement

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

Which version?
Latest available (Revised)
Original (As enacted)

Changes to legislation:

Sentencing Act 2026, Section 19 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.

Changes to Legislation

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Part 1Sentencing

Sentencing Council for England and Wales

19Sentencing Council business plan

After section 118 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 insert—

“118ABusiness plan

(1)

As soon as practicable after the beginning of each financial year, the Council must submit a business plan for the year to the Lord Chancellor for approval.

(2)

The business plan for a financial year must set out—

(a)

the matters about which the Council proposes to prepare sentencing guidelines in the year, and

(b)

the other activities it proposes to undertake in the year.

(3)

As soon as practicable after receiving a business plan submitted under subsection (1), the Lord Chancellor must consider the plan and decide whether to approve it.

(4)

If the Lord Chancellor approves the business plan for a financial year—

(a)

the Lord Chancellor must notify the Council, and

(b)

the Council must publish the plan once it has been so notified.

(5)

If the Lord Chancellor decides not to approve the business plan for a financial year, the Lord Chancellor must—

(a)

notify the Council, and

(b)

as soon as practicable after doing so, lay before Parliament a document stating the reason for the decision.”