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28 Licence conditions: offenders sentenced under repealed armed forces legislation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

Part 5General

49Commencement

(1)

Subject to subsections (3) and (4), this Act comes into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by regulations appoint.

(2)

Different days may be appointed for different purposes or areas.

(3)

The following provisions come into force on the day on which this Act is passed—

(a)

sections 25 and 28;

(b)

this Part;

(c)

any other provision of this Act (including provision modifying other legislation) so far as it confers power to make regulations, rules or an order or is otherwise necessary for enabling the exercise of such a power on or after the day on which this Act is passed.

(4)

Sections 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 to 9, 11, 19, 20, 40, 41 and 43 and Schedules 1 and 2 come into force at the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.

(5)

The Secretary of State may by regulations make transitional or saving provision in connection with the coming into force of any provision of this Act.

(6)

The power to make regulations under subsection (5) includes power to make different provision for different purposes or areas.

(7)

Regulations under this section are to be made by statutory instrument.