Perverting the course of justice and Witness intimidation consultation

What is the Sentencing Council? The Sentencing Council is the independent body responsible for developing sentencing guidelines which courts in England and Wales must follow when passing a sentence. The Council consults on proposed guidelines before they come into force and makes changes to the guidelines as a result of consultations. Why Perverting the Course of Justice and Witness Intimidation offences? There currently is no guideline for perverting the course of justice. This can be a serious offence and the Council felt that developing a guideline would be of benefit to courts. There is currently limited guidance for witness intimidation offences in the magistrates’ court, but no guidance for cases sentenced in the Crown Court. Again the Council felt that providing a fuller guideline for use across all courts would be beneficial. This consultation paper has been produced in order to seek views from as ma