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About Us

The Sentencing Advisory Council is an independent statutory body that was established in 2004 under amendments to the Sentencing Act 1991.

The Council's mission is to bridge the gap between the community, the courts and Government by informing, educating and advising on sentencing issues.

The Council has been active since its inception having produced numerous reports on complex sentencing issues, published previously unavailable statistical analyses and held a conference on politics, public opinion and the development of sentencing policy.

History

In 2000, the Victorian Government requested a review of aspects of Victoria’s sentencing laws. This was in response to concerns that the sentencing process was in need of reform.

The review was undertaken by Professor Arie Freiberg. His report, Pathways to Justice – Sentencing Review 2002, recommended a number of improvements to the sentencing system including the establishment of a Sentencing Advisory Council.

The review also made clear that sentencing “should not lie only in the domain of criminal justice professionals” and emphasised the need for properly informed public opinion to be taken into account in the criminal justice process.

The review found that there was general support for the creation of an organisation which would:

• conduct research on sentencing policy
• collect and analyse statistical data
• provide current sentencing information to the government, judiciary and the public
• provide feedback on the effectiveness of sanctions imposed on offenders.

The Victorian Government accepted the need for properly informed public opinion to be incorporated into the sentencing process and the recommendation that a Sentencing Advisory Council be created.

The Council is not the first of its kind; other similar organisations have been established in England, Scotland and New South Wales.