A Bill to provide that the Sentencing Council may not issue sentencing guidelines without the consent of the Secretary of State; to give the Secretary of State the power to amend sentencing guidelines prepared by the Sentencing Council before they are issued; and for connected purposes.
This Bill changes who controls the creation of sentencing guidelines. It says the Sentencing Council cannot issue guidelines unless the Secretary of State agrees, and it gives the Secretary of State power to amend guidelines before they are published. In short, it introduces government involvement in drafting and approving sentencing guidance.
The bill is currently at the second reading in the House of Commons. If it moves forward, it would proceed to committee stage for detailed scrutiny, then on to further readings and consideration by the Lords.
Generated 21 February 2026
The next stage for this Bill, Second reading, is scheduled to take place on Friday 25 April.
This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented to Parliament on Monday 10 February 2020.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.