Guilty or not, the clock is ticking

摘要

All criminal cases where the first hearing takes place on or after 1 June 2017 - irrespective of the date of the actual offence - will now be subject to the Sentencing Council's definitive guideline on Reduction in Sentence for a Guilty Plea. This applies to all criminal matters, but the impact may be particularly significant on complex criminal regulatory cases, such as in health and safety.