Birth Companions welcomes Sentencing Council plans to review guidance on pregnancy
Following our input into research on the equality and diversity considerations in sentencing guidance, Birth Companions welcomes commitments from the Sentencing Council to review issues specific to women, including a focus on pregnancy.
In its response to the University of Hertfordshire research, published this week, the Sentencing Council has stated plans to explore the need for specific sentencing guidelines for women, as well as considering issues relating to women in the forthcoming review of its Imposition of Community and Custodial Sentences guideline.
In light of our emphasis on the needs and risks associated with pregnancy, the Council has also said it will consult on the creation of a separate mitigating factor focused on pregnancy in 2023/24 – something Birth Companions has called for for some time, and a process we look forward to playing a key role in.
To discuss these issues in more detail, please contact Kirsty Kitchen.
