Sentencing

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Jonathan Dowdall against the four-year sentence handed down to him for his involvement in the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. The court held that the sentence was “very lenient” and was within the available range open to the Spec

A wide-ranging bill introducing new standalone offences of stalking and non-fatal strangulation, increasing the maximum sentence for various offences and introducing new protections for victims has completed all stages in the Oireachtas. The Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which de

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal which claimed that a sentence of four years’ imprisonment for hijacking a car was manifestly excessive. The court found that the trial court was correct to impose this sentence, given the seriousness of the circumstances of the c

The Court of Appeal has increased the sentence for a man convicted of raping his two younger sisters as a teenager. The offending occurred while the man was aged between 14 and 19. He had initially been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended. Delivering judgmen

The maximum sentence for assaults on gardaí, prison officers, soldiers and emergency workers is set to be increased to 12 years' imprisonment under government plans. The government will propose an amendment to the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to significantly increase the

Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal has dismissed all grounds of appeal brought by a 62-year-old veteran involved in making and distributing indecent images of children. The man had been sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment in relation to 37 criminal counts following an investigation involving over 1

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has increased a child murderer's sentence from 13 to 16 years, despite fears of double jeopardy and failures by the prosecution, as the interests of justice demanded it. This was a reference brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland

Sentences handed down by judges in the south of England are more likely to be referred back to the courts as unduly lenient as those handed down by their northern colleagues, according to new research. Of all the sentences handed down in England and Wales from the start of 2020 to the end of 2022, a

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has determined that a 12-year sentence in relation to cultivating cannabis was not excessive, given the scope and value of the operation, and the control exercised by the accused. However, the court did reduce a separate sentence which had been applied concur

The Court of Appeal has determined that it has limited jurisdiction to review a sentence imposed on a child who attained maturity by the time of an appeal. It was held that the court’s powers to review the severity of sentence involving detention were limited by statute to either quashing a co

There are close to 300 children in the State whose mothers are imprisoned, with devastating effects on the children and their families, according to a new report. The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) estimates that 278 children are impacted by maternal imprisonment and recommends that the courts take

The Court of Appeal has upheld a 10-year sentence imposed on a man who entered into a coercive sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl. The girl had a child with the man during the abuse. The accused had pleaded guilty to one count of the defilement of a child and one count of sexual assault. De

The Court of Appeal has increased the sentence for a young man convicted of dangerous driving which caused the death of a young woman in Oughterard, County Galway. The man had originally been sentenced to three years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended. However, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy held tha

Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal has dismissed all grounds of appeal against a 24-year murder sentence. The court found that this sentence was neither excessive nor unlawful and a three-year reduction following a late-stage guilty plea was sufficient, if not “generous”.

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by the DPP against a sentence of three years and three months' imprisonment for a young woman convicted of gross negligence manslaughter of her infant child. The final three years of the sentence were suspended by the trial judge and the DPP argued that th