Sentencing Act 2026 Timeline

Royal Assent

The Sentencing Act 2026 received Royal Assent.

legislation.gov.uk

Sentencing Council guideline amendments

Definitive sentencing guidelines republished to align with the SA 2026.

sentencingcouncil.org.uk

Suspended sentences, deferment, whole life orders & SOPC expansion

• Presumption to suspend custodial sentences of 12 months or less.
• Maximum suspended sentence raised from 2 to 3 years.
• Deferment of sentence extended from 6 to 12 months.
• Automatic whole life order for murder of a police, prison or probation officer in the course of duty.
• SOPC expanded to national security and official secrets offences.
• Domestic abuse marker introduced (s.6).
• Purpose of sentencing amended to reference victims.

Fixed Term Recall (56 days) begins

• 14/28-day FTR replaced by a fixed 56-day FTR for eligible adult SDS recalls.
• Staggered roll-out through 12 May 2026 for those already on recall, by sentence length band.

Community orders, domestic abuse statements & unpaid work credits scheduled

• The Commencement No. 5 Regulations set 2 September 2026 for the new community order prohibitions (driving, public events, drinking establishments) and probation requirement changes. SI 2026/948 later moved that date to 1 October 2026.
• From 5 October 2026, courts must state in open court when an offence involved domestic abuse.
• From 18 January 2027, earned reduction credits apply to unpaid work compliance.

SI 2026/772

Progression model paused, then narrowed

• The progression model was due to start on 2 September 2026. It was paused while the government reviewed the policy.
• The government announced a 1 October 2026 start, to give probation more time to prepare and let victims contribute to licence conditions.
• It also announced that rape, serious child sex and grooming offences would be barred from the changes.
• Both announcements were put into law on 1 September 2026 — see below.

GOV.UK announcement

The August announcements become law

• The Commencement No. 6 and Revocation Regulations (SI 2026/953) revoked the Commencement No. 4 Regulations (SI 2026/609), which would have started the progression model on 2 September 2026.
• They set the start at 1 October 2026 and keep the staged schedule running to 8 June 2027. Only the first stage moved: every later stage kept its date.
• The Schedule to SI 2026/953 is the excluded-offence list. It is wider than the August announcement: as well as rape and child sexual offences it covers unlawful killing, cruelty to a child, indecent assault, causing death by driving or cycling, and genocide.
• Regulation 4 defers anyone already released on a curfew licence under section 253 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to 12 October 2027.
• Regulation 6 leaves youth detention under section 250 of the Sentencing Code out of the change altogether.
• SI 2026/948 separately moved the new community order requirements from 2 September to 1 October 2026.

SI 2026/953

Progression model & related changes

• SDS automatic release moves to one-third (from 40% or one-half).
• SDS+ / s.244ZA automatic release moves to one-half (from two-thirds).
• The offences in the Schedule to SI 2026/953 are excluded — those release points stay where they are.
• People already in custody move across in monthly stages by sentence length, shortest sentences first.
• Home Detention Curfew (HDC) removed for adult SDS: the progression model replaces it.
• IPP/DPP licence termination: qualifying period reduced from 3 to 2 years; further applications permitted after 1 year continuous on licence.
• Early Removal Scheme (ERS): minimum custodial period removed.
• Four new licence conditions become available: Driving Prohibition, Public Event Attendance Prohibition, Drinking Establishment Entry Prohibition, GPS-tagged Restriction Zone.
• Independent Adjudicator additional-days cap doubled from 42 to 84 days per incident.