It is possible to appeal a light sentence for a paedophile online or other certain crimes if you think it is too lenient. Any member of the public can appeal and it only takes one appeal for them to begin the process:
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Check Eligibility
- Only certain serious offences, such as sexual offences, violent crimes, or terrorism-related offences, are covered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. Verify whether the offence qualifies for review.
File a Request to the Attorney General
- Submit a request for review within 28 days of the sentencing date. You can do this as a victim, a member of the public, or another interested party.
- Provide details such as the case name, court location, sentencing date, and reasons for believing the sentence is unduly lenient.
Attorney General’s Review
- The Attorney General reviews the case to decide if the sentence appears unduly lenient. The test is whether the sentence falls significantly below the range considered reasonable.
Referral to the Court of Appeal
- If the Attorney General agrees, they refer the case to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). The court then examines whether the sentence should be increased.
- If no referral is made, the sentence remains unchanged.
Court of Appeal Hearing
- At the hearing, the court considers arguments from the Attorney General and the defendant’s legal team.
- The court can increase the sentence, confirm it, or make other adjustments as appropriate.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.