Sentencing Final Report No. 11 - Tasmania Law Reform Institute

Sentencing is the process by which people who have been found guilty of offending against the criminal law have sanctions imposed upon them in accordance with that law. The sentence of the court is the most visible aspect of the criminal justice system’s response to a guilty offender. Public dissatisfaction with sentencing is endemic. Public opinion polls suggest that sentences are too lenient. There appears to be a perception that sentences are becoming more lenient. And sentences attract the criticism that there are inconsistencies between judicial officers. Sentencing trends and prison statistics were examined to explore the issue of changes in sentencing patterns for major crimes and summary offences. The issue of consistency between judicial officers was investigated and sentencing data was examined to demonstrate what courts see as the appropriate sentencing range for particular offences.