This annual report covers the year to 31 March 2025. In his Foreword, our Chairman Lord Justice William Davis – Bill Davis – reflected on the Council’s work during that period. Very sadly, Bill died on the morning of 7 June 2025. It feels appropriate therefore for this report to mark his passing and the huge contribution he made to the work of the Council.
Bill Davis served originally as a judicial member of the Council between 2012–2015. One of the Council’s biggest achievements during this period was the production of the Children and young people guideline, in which he played a leading role. The question of how the courts deal with children who find themselves within the criminal justice system – and in particular how they are sentenced – was an area of particular interest to Bill, and he later served as the judicial lead for youth justice. Soon after his appointment to the Court of Appeal, he returned to the Sentencing Council as Chairman from August 2022. Between then and his untimely death, his expert leadership of the Council displayed his characteristic hard work, principled approach and good humour.
The Council delivered a huge amount under Bill’s leadership. It published 12 public consultations, issued 13 new or revised definitive sentencing guidelines, hosted two academic conferences, issued three evaluations, and published a number of research reports including two on the effectiveness of sentencing and one on public confidence. The Council made submissions to the inquiry into Public Confidence in Sentencing undertaken by the Justice Committee of the House of Commons and to the Gauke independent review into sentencing. The Council also launched its ‘You be the Judge’ tool to enable members of the public better to understand how judges reach the sentences that they pass and to shed light on how the process operates.
In recent months, as Bill discusses in his Foreword, the Council found itself the centre of much debate about its revised Imposition guideline. Bill navigated this difficult period for the Council with calmness, clarity and courage. It was not an easy time, not least because a number of Council members, including Bill, were subjected to some criticism which was personal in nature. It was a source of particular regret to all of us on the Council that Bill and other colleagues were singled out in that way, when all of the decisions taken in respect of that guideline – as with all of our discussions – were taken jointly and by agreement of all of the Council’s members. Bill showed particular fortitude during this period, and never once wavered in his desire to ensure that the Council considered all the evidence and arguments carefully and dispassionately in reaching its decision. I and all of my fellow Council members have the utmost admiration and gratitude to Bill for the way he led us, not just through the last few months but for the entire period for which he was our Chairman. He will be greatly missed as both a friend and colleague.
Lord Justice Timothy Holroyde Vice Chairman
June 2025