Judicial System and Sentencing Principles

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, roles, sentencing types, and governing bodies in the judicial system based on the lecture notes.

Jury Role

Evaluates evidence to reach verdicts on guilt or innocence.

Judicial Role

Applies specialist legal knowledge to enforce laws enacted by Parliament and determine appropriate judgments.

Magistrates

Judicial officers who can pass sentences directly or send serious cases to the Crown Court if the offence exceeds their sentencing powers.

Broadcasting of Sentencing Remarks

The recording and broadcasting of Crown Court judges' sentencing remarks via a dedicated Sky News YouTube channel, initiated in July 2022.

Mitigation

Sentencing considerations that take into account an offender's personal circumstances, remorse, or a guilty plea.

Early Guilty Plea Discount

A sentencing reduction providing a maximum reduction of a third off the sentence for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Prison Sentence

A sentence applied when offences are severe or criminal records are extensive, where offenders generally serve half their sentence in custody and half on licence.

Community Sentences

Sentences combining rehabilitation with 40 to 300 hours of demanding unpaid work such as removing graffiti, clearing litter, drug addiction treatment, or curfews.

Fines

The most common sentence for minor offences, calculated based on offence severity and financial capability.

Discharges

Sentences used for minor offences where court prosecution itself is deemed sufficient punishment, where reoffending during a specified period leads to sentencing for both original and new offences.

Sentencing Council

A body created by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and launched in April 2010 to promote consistency in sentencing while preserving judicial independence.

Coroners and Justice Act 2009

The legislation that established the Sentencing Council, replacing the Sentencing Guidelines Council and the Sentencing Advisory Panel.