The report, conducted by the University of Hertfordshire and published this week, makes 27 recommendations.
The researchers looked at the stepped approach, where sentences are increased or decreased based on aggravating and mitigating factors.
They found the current approach may place more emphasis on aggravation than mitigation. Therefore, they recommended an extra step where sentencers review the sentence with mitigating factors and the offender’s personal circumstances in mind.
Other recommendations included rethinking the explanation of ‘remorse’, the use of group affiliation as a factor in robbery cases and the application of upward factors (factors suggesting tougher sentences) in theft cases, due to potential inconsistencies.
Sentencing Council Chairman, Lord Justice William Davis, said: ‘We are committed to promoting a transparent, consistent and fair approach to sentencing.’
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