The Totality guideline applies when sentencing an offender for multiple offences or when sentencing an offender who is already serving an existing sentence The Council has revised the guideline to:
make it easier to use and navigate, while retaining the existing level of detail
give greater prominence to guidance on how the courts can structure the sentence to achieve a just and proportionate outcome
bring the guideline up to date to reflect changes in case law
add an explanation of how to approach sentencing offences committed before other offences for which an offender has already been sentenced
provide more examples showing how the guideline might apply to certain situations, and
prompt courts to explain how the sentence is structured
As ever, the Council is very grateful to those who responded to the consultation and those who assisted with research. The responses we received have resulted in modifications to the original proposals. Alongside the guidelines we are publishing a document setting out the response to the consultation and other related documents which can be found on the Sentencing Council website here.