Pina-Sánchez, J, Brunton-Smith, I and Guangquan, L (2020) Mind the step: A more insightful and robust analysis of the sentencing process in England and Wales under the new sentencing guidelines. Criminology and Criminal Justice, 20 (3). pp. 268-301. ISSN 1748-8958
Abstract
The ‘England and Wales Sentencing Guidelines’ aim to promote consistency by organizing the sentencing process as a sequence of steps, with initial judicial assessments subsequently adjusted to reflect relevant case characteristics. Yet, existing evaluations of the guidelines have failed to incorporate this structure adequately, instead concentrating solely on sentence outcomes. We use multivariate multilevel models to offer new insights into the decisions made throughout the sentencing process. Focusing on cases of assault sentenced at the Crown Court we show that the level of compliance with the guidelines is high. However, we also show that some case characteristics are being unduly considered at more than one stage of the sentencing process, meaning existing studies may be underestimating their true influence.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2018. Pina-Sánchez, J, Brunton-Smith, I and Guangquan, L (Accepted: 2018) Mind the Step: A More Insightful and Robust Analysis of the Sentencing Process in England and Wales under the New Sentencing Guidelines. Criminology and Criminal Justice. ISSN 1748-8958 (In Press). Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications. |
Keywords: | Compliance; consistency; Crown Court; mediating effects; multivariate multilevel modelling; sentencing guidelines |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Law (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 12 Oct 2018 08:57 |
Last Modified: | 04 Sep 2020 14:52 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/1748895818811891 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:137048 |