In general, courts should impose the shortest length of a community order commensurate with the seriousness of the offence. The court imposing a community order must specify the length of that order by specifying the end date by which all requirements in it must have been complied with. This end date must not be more than 3 years after the date of the order (section 209 of the Sentencing Code).
The court should specify a length of an order which reflects both the seriousness of the offence (within which a consideration of the offender’s individual circumstances will be necessary) and the length of time the requirements being imposed necessitate.