Debate contribution: Sentencing Practices in Northern Ireland

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Chambers on 23 June 2025.

MLA: Mr Alan Chambers
Party at the time: Ulster Unionist Party
Date: 23 June 2025
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Sentencing Practices in Northern Ireland
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5046360

Text

Criminal sentencing must meet two important criteria: the sentence must reflect the gravity of the offence, but, more important, it must be seen as a deterrent. A few years ago, we saw an advertising campaign with the slogan, "One Punch Can Kill". The message was that you did not need a gun or knife in your hand to end a life: one punch could do it. That one punch could elevate a petty argument to the perpetrator facing a murder or manslaughter charge, and that was the obvious deterrent against throwing that punch. A growing, cowardly and vicious element is evident in street assaults, when a victim has been knocked unconscious and is unable to defend themselves, and people take turns to kick them on the head or, indeed, stamp on their head with force. I asked the Minister whether she would consider introducing legislation to cover that specific offence. I know that she shares my absolute disgust at that element of an assault. However, the Minister informed me that she has no plans to introduce a further specific offence, and she pointed me to sentencing guidelines for judges in assault cases. I was disappointed to discover that the gap between lower and higher levels of custody are measured in small numbers of months when kicks to the head are involved. In my opinion, that offers little deterrent. Assaults on the police also carry small gaps in custody guidelines, with community orders featuring. We owe it to our police officers and, indeed, to all emergency workers to bring forward a much more meaningful range of deterrent sentences. I call on the Minister to establish a sentencing council, as is referenced in the motion, to review the scale of sentences available to the courts with a view to creating genuine deterrents for those who are considering assaulting another human being and, especially, to protect police officers, who are always on the front line.

322 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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