Website to give overview of criminal sentencing

A WEBSITE which will give the public an insight into how the courts sentence people convicted of crimes is to be launched today.

The pilot Irish Sentencing Information System is designed to act as a resource for people seeking information and an understanding of the sentencing policy of the judiciary.

It will act as both a database and a website as a result of an initiative taken by the Courts Service.

The ISIS website may also assist judges in their consideration of a sentence to be imposed on a convicted criminal as it will enable them to access information on a range of sentences and other penalties imposed in similar cases.

Figures from the ISIS show that 5,160 prison sentences were imposed for road traffic offences last year, while more than 6,000 jail terms were handed down for assault and other public order offences. More than 1,504 sentences were issued for minor drug offences and more than 7,000 for theft.

In addition, the Children’s Court imposed 608 sentences of detention on 272 juveniles during 2009.

The Circuit Court, which oversees trials for serious drugs offences, imposed 51 sentences in excess of 10 years each.

The Central Criminal Court imposed 19 life sentences on people convicted of either murder or manslaughter, while four offenders received jail terms in excess of 10 years.

Three offenders found guilty of rape and sexual assault were given life sentences by the same court, while almost half of all offenders for such sexual crimes received jail terms of between five and 12 years.

The ISIS website brings together resources from various areas and provides new research and detail on sentencing conducted under a committee chaired by the Supreme Court judge, Ms Justice Susan Denham.

“The initiative will provide a rich source of information for all interested in the study of the criminal justice system,” said Ms Denham.

She welcomed the launch of the website as a positive step in promoting public awareness of the functioning of the courts and the sanctions imposed on convicted criminals.

Justice Minister, Dermot Ahern, said the website provided valuable information on the type of person committing crime and the way they are treated by the courts.

The website shows that about 550,000 criminal matters were processed by the various courts around the country last year.

The ISIS website provides statistics on sentencing, case law, synopses of decisions of the superior courts on sentencing issues as well as links to full judgments in cases and access to a database on sentences imposed for various crimes.

It also includes academic articles on the issue of sentencing by experts in criminal law.

However, the Court Service warned that the future development of the ISIS website will have to be considered “in the context of the current financial climate”.

* The website can be accessed on www.irishsentencing.ie