The Sentencing Council Annual Report 2020/21, published today, is the Council’s 11th annual report and Lord Justice Holroyde’s third as Chairman. The report documents the Council’s achievements of the year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, which include publishing four sets of definitive guidelines, all of which have come into effect, and consulting on three sets of draft guidelines.

The report outlines the research and analysis we conducted during the year and shows how that informed the development of guidelines, and sets out the work the Council has done to promote public confidence in sentencing.

The report also documents how the Council responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular its release of interim guidance for the courts on sentencing common assault offences in the context of the pandemic.