Committees

Public opinion and understanding of sentencing

Inquiry

In this inquiry, the Justice Committee will examine the public’s understanding of the current approach to sentencing in England and Wales. It will investigate how the public access information on sentencing and barriers to improving public awareness on how sentencing works. The inquiry will also consider public opinion on sentencing, including the extent to which public opinion should inform sentencing policy and practice.

Read the call for evidence to find out more about this inquiry.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 22 August 2022.

Upcoming events

View all events

No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 7 March 2023
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Oral evidence session 7 March 2023
Proposed changes to the Totality sentencing guideline; Public opinion and understanding of sentencing - Oral evidence
2:30pm
  • Professor Andrew Ashworth CBE KC (Hon) (Emeritus Vinerian Professor of English Law at Faculty of Law, University of Oxford)
  • Dr Rory Kelly (Lecturer in Criminal Evidence and Criminal Law at Faculty of Laws, UCL)
  • Professor Mandeep Dhami (Professor in Decision Psychology at Middlesex University)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 13 December 2022
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Public opinion and understanding of sentencing - Oral evidence 13 December 2022
2:30pm
  • Steve Wade (Chief Executive at Sentencing Council for England and Wales)
  • Lord Justice William Davis (Chairman at Sentencing Council for England and Wales)
3:30pm
  • Rt Hon Edward Argar MP (Minister of State for Justice at Ministry of Justice)
  • Claire Fielder (Director of Youth Justice and Offender Policy at Ministry of Justice)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 29 November 2022
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Public opinion and understanding of sentencing - Oral evidence 29 November 2022
2:30pm
  • Mark Day (Joint Secretary at Independent Commission into the Experience of Victims and Long-term Prisoners)
  • Bishop James Jones KBE (Chair at Independent Commission into the Experience of Victims and Long-term Prisoners)
  • Professor Mike Hough (Emeritus Professor at School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London)
  • Professor Julian Roberts (Executive Director at Sentencing Academy)
  • Claire Waxman OBE
Room 8, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone. Please be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints.