R v Manning: Sentencing considered during the period of the pandemic

Philip Stott considers R - v -  Manning and the observations of the Lord Chief Justice on sentencing during Covid-19

A recent ‘unduly lenient’ sentencing reference to the Court of Appeal – R v Manning – provided an opportunity for the Lord Chief Justice to make some important observations about the proper approach to sentencing during this period of the coronavirus crisis. The Court held that, as custodial sentences are more onerous during the pandemic, sentencing tribunals should be more ready to consider disposals other than immediate custody. Philip Stott outlines the relevant parts of the judgment which will be of great importance to those dealing with defendants who are potentially due to receive short to medium term custodial sentences. Given the nature of the principle identified by the Court, there are also some potentially far-reaching consequences for other parts of the criminal law which are also identified and discussed in this article.

Read the article here.