On 30 April 2020, giving the lead judgment in the Court of Appeal, the Lord Chief Justice considered that the impact of a custodial sentence is likely to be heavier during the coronavirus pandemic than it would otherwise be, and that this was a factor that judges and magistrates can and should keep in mind when sentencing. 

The impact of the COVID-19 virus on the UK’s prison population has been widely reported in recent weeks. Last month, The Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust released Public Health England documents which warned that the worst-case scenario for the prison system could see 3,500 deaths from the virus. 

The Court of Appeal’s decision is welcome news to keep the prison population down and the spread of the virus under control.  

Read more here 

Manning, R. v (Rev 1) [2020] EWCA Crim 592 (30 April 2020) — judgment here 

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