Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (i) sentencing; and (ii) guidelines, in relation to stalking offences tried in the Magistrates’ Courts.
Minister of Justice: Sentencing is a matter for the court to determine within the sentencing range allowed by the governing legislation which, for stalking offences, is the Protection from Stalking Act (NI) 2022.
The judge, who has heard all the evidence in the case, must consider any mitigating and aggravating factors, any expert reports, the sentences imposed in similar cases, and any sentencing guidance available to help them maintain a level of consistency in similar cases. Any victim impact statements will also be taken into consideration.
Sentencing guidance is entirely a matter for the courts and judiciary. Guidance often comes from judgments of the Court of Appeal, while guidelines for the lower courts are drawn up by the Lady Chief Justice’s sentencing group.
ENDS
