Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will amend the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Reviews of Sentencing) Order 2006 to include offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 within the scope of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme is an exceptional power. Any expansion of the scheme must be carefully considered.

The Law Commission is currently undertaking a review of the law governing criminal appeals. As part of its public consultation, which ran from February to June 2025, the Commission sought views on a range of potential reforms to the ULS scheme, including whether additional offences, such as animal cruelty offences, should be brought within scope. The consultation closed in June 2025, and the Law Commission is expected to publish its final report in 2026.

The Government will carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations on possible reforms to the ULS scheme, including any proposals relating to offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, once the final report is published.