Trading Standards: Sentencing
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of sentences for people convicted of crimes involving breaches of trading standards.
Answered by Jake Richards
The Ministry of Justice has made no assessment of sentencing for offending involving breaches of trading standards.
Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, including discharges, fines, community sentences, suspended sentences and custodial sentences.
When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.
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