Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme allows anyone to request that Law Officers consider referring certain serious sentences to the Court of Appeal if they believe the sentences are unduly lenient.

Between 2019 and 2024, the number of sentences reviewed by the Law Officers have increased. In 2019, the Law Officers reviewed 577 requests, increasing to 831 in 2024, with a steady referral rate to the Court of Appeal. These increases are likely due to both greater awareness of the scheme and the expansion of offences covered by it.

The Law Commission is currently undertaking a review of the laws governing criminal appeals. Last month, they launched a public consultation which invites views on a range of reforms to the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. The consultation is open to all and runs until 30 May: Criminal Appeals Consultation Paper - Law Commission.

The Government will carefully consider the recommendations made in the Law Commission final report in due course.