Achieving Consistency in Sentencing

The Sentencing Council of England and Wales has as its core aim to promote consistency in sentencing, with a developed system of appellate guidance at sentencing in addition to a narrative guidelines system which is now two decades old. As such, there is much to analyse and many lessons to be learned - for England and Wales and other jurisdictions. Consistency in sentencing is widely regarded to be an essential component of a fair sentencing system; but what does consistency mean exactly?

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