Assault
The definitive guidelines for sentencing assault offences were issued on 16 March 2011 and came into force on 13 June 2011.
Revisions 2020
The revised sentencing guidelines for assault offences, including common assault and attempted murder, and new guidance for assault on emergency workers were issued on 27 May 2021 and came into force on 1 July 2021.
- Common assault – section 39 Criminal Justice Act 1988; Racially/religiously aggravated Common assault – section 29 Crime and Disorder Act 1998; Assault on Emergency Worker – section 1 Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018
- Assault with intent to resist arrest – section 38 Offences Against the Person Act 1861
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm – section 47 Offences Against the Person Act 1861; Racially/religiously aggravated ABH – section 29 Crime and Disorder Act 1998
- Inflicting grievous bodily harm/Unlawful wounding – section 20 Offences Against the Person Act 1861; Racially/religiously aggravated GBH/Unlawful wounding – section 29 Crime and Disorder Act 1998
- Causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm/Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm – section 18 Offences Against the Person Act 1861
- Attempted murder – s1(1) Criminal Attempts Act 1981
The definitive guidelines on the sentencing of strangulation and suffocation offences were issued on 17 December 2024 and came into force on 1 January 2025.
Related documents
To support the guidelines and consultations, the Council also publishes a range of documents. These documents may include consultation responses, statistical bulletins, resource and equality impact assessments and guideline assessments.
Related documents: Assault
Archived
Previous archived versions of guidelines can be found below:
- Sentencing Council: Assault – Definitive guideline
- Sentencing Guidelines Council: Attempted murder
- Sentencing Guidelines Council: Assault and other offences
- Sentencing Guidelines Council Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines: Assault occasioning actual bodily harm/ Racially or religiously aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm (page 27)
- Sentencing Guidelines Council Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines: Assault on a police constable (page 28)
- Sentencing Guidelines Council Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines: Assault with intent to resist arrest (page 29)
- Sentencing Guidelines Council Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines: Common assault/ Racially or religiously aggravated common assault (pages 40-41)
- Sentencing Guidelines Council Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines: Grievous bodily harm/ unlawful wounding/ Racially or religiously aggravated grievous bodily harm/ unlawful wounding (page 65)