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YOUTH CRIME BRIEFING MARCH 2009<br />

Youth Crime briefing<br />

Breach of anti-social behaviour orders<br />

Sentencing <strong>guidelines</strong><br />

Contents<br />

• Introduction page 1<br />

• About <strong>sentencing</strong><br />

<strong>guidelines</strong> page 1<br />

• Principles for making an<br />

ASBO page 2<br />

• Aim of <strong>sentencing</strong> for<br />

breach page 3<br />

• Sentencing for breach: guideline<br />

and principles applying to young<br />

people page 3<br />

• Assessing seriousness of<br />

breach page 4<br />

• New arrangements for review of<br />

ASBOs and making ISOs page 5<br />

• Appendix 1 page 6<br />

Youth Crime mailings<br />

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Contact www.howardleague.org<br />

Introduction<br />

This briefing considers the<br />

Sentencing Guidelines Council<br />

(SGC) definitive guideline on<br />

<strong>sentencing</strong> for breach of an antisocial<br />

behaviour order (the<br />

guideline). 1 The guideline deals<br />

with <strong>sentencing</strong> for both adults<br />

and children and young people.<br />

However, it provides separate and<br />

distinct guidance on the principles<br />

for dealing with the latter when<br />

they breach an anti-social<br />

behaviour order (ASBO). One of<br />

the key considerations in dealing<br />

with a breach is the way in which<br />

the original order was made, and<br />

its purpose. Thus, the guideline<br />

also sets out the principles for<br />

making an ASBO in the first<br />

instance. This briefing discusses<br />

those principles and they are set<br />

out in Appendix 1 below.<br />

In addition, closely following the<br />

publication of the guideline, the<br />

Youth Justice Board (YJB),<br />

Association of Chief Police<br />

Officers (ACPO) and the Home<br />

Office have published statutory<br />

guidance on the review of ASBOs<br />

and individual support orders<br />

(ISO) as provided for by the<br />

Criminal Justice and Immigration<br />

Act 2008. 2 This guidance has been<br />

taken into account in this briefing.<br />

Together with the new<br />

arrangements for reviewing<br />

ASBOs, the guideline should<br />

clarify issues regarding both the<br />

making and breach of orders with<br />

the potential to ensure better<br />

consistency around England and<br />

Wales, and to ensure that<br />

prohibitions made upon<br />

individuals are informed by the<br />

principles set out. If applied as<br />

described, the guideline could<br />

reduce the number of custodial<br />

sentences and improve the level<br />

of support to children and young<br />

people to help them to comply<br />

with orders and to reduce the risk<br />

of further criminal or anti-social<br />

behaviour.<br />

The guideline accordingly has<br />

considerable implications for<br />

practitioners involved in applying<br />

for or making ASBOs, conducting<br />

reviews of orders, initiating or<br />

<strong>sentencing</strong> breach proceedings, as<br />

well as for those providing<br />

pre-sentence reports or<br />

consultancy to courts.<br />

About <strong>sentencing</strong><br />

<strong>guidelines</strong><br />

The Sentencing Guidelines Council<br />

was established under the<br />

Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA<br />

2003). The SGC provides guidance<br />

on <strong>sentencing</strong> to the criminal<br />

courts for all age groups: adults<br />

and children and young people.<br />

Although there is a case for a<br />

youth justice system that is more<br />

distinct from that for adults, 3 the<br />

SGC was established to provide<br />

<strong>guidelines</strong> for the whole system.<br />

In practice, <strong>guidelines</strong> have<br />

sought to distinguish between<br />

adults and juveniles to some<br />

extent and a separate publication<br />

is currently subject to<br />

consultation dealing with<br />

<strong>sentencing</strong> those aged below 18<br />

(which will also address the<br />

forthcoming youth rehabilitation<br />

order).<br />

Do you need this briefing in another format?<br />

Tel: 020 7840 1203


Breach of anti-social behaviour orders Sentencing <strong>guidelines</strong><br />

The SGC produces <strong>guidelines</strong> for the <strong>sentencing</strong> of<br />

particular offences, as well as other aspects of<br />

<strong>sentencing</strong>, including principles that should be<br />

applied and how matters should be allocated<br />

(transfers and committals to crown courts, mode of<br />

trial decisions).<br />

Sentencing <strong>guidelines</strong> aim to improve consistency<br />

and effectiveness in <strong>sentencing</strong> across courts and<br />

regions, to enhance public confidence, and to<br />

ensure fairness and equity.<br />

The SGC aims to:<br />

• give authoritative guidance on <strong>sentencing</strong><br />

• provide a lead on the approach to <strong>sentencing</strong> and<br />

case allocation issues based on a principled<br />

approach that commands general support<br />

• enable sentencers to make decisions supported<br />

by information on the effectiveness of sentences<br />

and the most effective use of resources.<br />

A more comprehensive description and discussion<br />

of <strong>sentencing</strong> <strong>guidelines</strong>, including some<br />

background on the development of <strong>guidelines</strong><br />

around the world, how the SGC works and is<br />

constituted, and detail of previous <strong>guidelines</strong> as<br />

they apply to children and young people, is<br />

contained in a previous Nacro briefing. 4<br />

The status of <strong>guidelines</strong><br />

The <strong>guidelines</strong> produced by the SGC are applicable<br />

in all criminal courts as provided by the CJA 2003:<br />

Every court must:<br />

• in <strong>sentencing</strong> an offender, have regard to any<br />

<strong>guidelines</strong> which are relevant to the offender’s<br />

case, and<br />

• in exercising any other function relating to the<br />

<strong>sentencing</strong> of offenders, have regard to any<br />

<strong>guidelines</strong> which are relevant to the exercise of the<br />

function. 5<br />

In addition, any court that does not act in<br />

accordance with the <strong>guidelines</strong> must announce the<br />

reasons for this in open court.<br />

Principles for making an ASBO<br />

One of the important considerations set out in the<br />

guideline for <strong>sentencing</strong> in the case of breach of an<br />

ASBO is how and why the order was first made.<br />

Accordingly, the guideline clarifies the principles<br />

and other issues that are relevant to the making of<br />

an ASBO in the first instance.<br />

The principles provided are worthy of careful<br />

consideration and application in practice. They<br />

have a particular relevance to those preparing<br />

pre-sentence reports or responsible for other forms<br />

of consultation where a criminal ASBO might be<br />

made in addition to the sentence imposed for the<br />

offence(s) before the court, to those planning for<br />

other ASBO applications, and to those conducting<br />

reviews of ASBOs. In some areas of England and<br />

Wales, the principles might require changes in<br />

practice and, potentially, a reduction in the number<br />

of orders made as well as a new focus on the nature<br />

and number of prohibitions imposed.<br />

The SCG specifies as a starting point that an ASBO is<br />

a preventative order and that it is unlawful to use it<br />

as punishment. Nor should an ASBO be made as an<br />

alternative, or as an additional sanction, to another<br />

order of the court. These principles may be<br />

particularly pertinent to the making of an ASBO (in<br />

criminal proceedings) that does not commence until<br />

the date of release from a custodial sentence<br />

imposed at the same hearing. The SGC notes that,<br />

under these circumstances, an ASBO will rarely be<br />

appropriate where the length of a custodial<br />

sentence exceeds 12 months at which point licence<br />

conditions will come into effect in any event.<br />

Although it is not discussed in detail, it may be that<br />

the SCG had in mind both adult offenders as well as<br />

young people who break the law in this regard,<br />

since a detention and training order of less than<br />

twelve months also gives rise to enforceable<br />

conditions of supervision in the community. It<br />

might therefore be argued that ASBOs should only<br />

rarely be made alongside a custodial sentence of<br />

any length unless there are clear reasons for so<br />

doing. The potential need for prohibitions relating<br />

to geographical location is the only example cited in<br />

the guideline.<br />

With regard to principles for determining the length<br />

of an ASBO, it is recommended that the duration be<br />

specified and that it should be proportionate to the<br />

aim of the order and commensurate with the risk<br />

guarded against. The length of an ASBO on a child<br />

or young person should be determined with an eye<br />

to the greater potential for younger people to<br />

mature and change over a relatively short period of<br />

time.<br />

In addition, principles are established, or<br />

confirmed, regarding the nature and number of<br />

prohibitions made under an ASBO. These need not<br />

necessarily all run for the whole length of the ASBO<br />

period (although at least one prohibition must do<br />

so). Use should not be made of ‘standard lists’ of<br />

prohibitions nor, normally, should they prohibit<br />

actual specified offences (eg taking and driving<br />

away) which can be properly prosecuted as<br />

required. Prohibitions should not be so numerous<br />

or complex that they are not properly understood<br />

by the subject of the order or that might cause<br />

difficulty with regards to compliance.<br />

The full summary of principles and other<br />

considerations when making an ASBO as set down<br />

in the guideline are included at Appendix 1 below.<br />

page 2


YOUTH CRIME BRIEFING<br />

European Rules for juvenile offenders<br />

subject to sanctions or measures<br />

New European Rules for juvenile offenders<br />

subject to sanctions or measures, adopted by the<br />

Council of Ministers, tend to support the SGC<br />

guideline although, with regard to the making<br />

and breach of ASBOs, there are also some areas<br />

of tension that await resolution. The Rules 6<br />

recommend, inter-alia, that:<br />

• The imposition and implementation of sanctions<br />

or measures shall be based on the best interests<br />

of the juvenile offenders, limited by the gravity<br />

of the offences committed (principle of<br />

proportionality) and take account of their age,<br />

physical and mental well-being, development,<br />

capacities and personal circumstances<br />

(principle of individualisation) ...<br />

• Sanctions and measures shall be implemented<br />

without undue delay and only to the extent and<br />

for the period strictly necessary (principle of<br />

minimum intervention)<br />

• The juvenile’s right to privacy shall be fully<br />

respected at all stages of the proceedings ...<br />

• Priority shall be given to sanctions and<br />

measures that may have an educational impact<br />

as well as constituting a restorative response ...<br />

• If juveniles do not comply with the conditions<br />

and obligations of the community sanctions or<br />

measures imposed on them, this shall not lead<br />

automatically to deprivation of liberty. Where<br />

possible, modified or new community sanctions<br />

or measures shall replace the previous ones.<br />

• Failure to comply shall not automatically<br />

constitute an offence.<br />

Aim of <strong>sentencing</strong> for breach<br />

An ASBO is a preventative order and the aim of<br />

breach, set out in the guideline, is to ‘achieve the<br />

purpose of the order’. In <strong>sentencing</strong> for breach, the<br />

fact that it represents a failure to comply with a<br />

court order should be a secondary consideration.<br />

The primary purpose of <strong>sentencing</strong> is to reflect the<br />

harassment, alarm or distress actually involved (in<br />

which respect, breach of an ASBO is normally<br />

different to breach of a community order).<br />

As mentioned above, the reason for including<br />

principles that apply to the original making of an<br />

ASBO is that, in order to deal with a breach<br />

appropriately, the court should consider how and<br />

why the order was initially made.<br />

The guideline applies to cases being dealt with in<br />

court but there is nothing, at least in principle,<br />

preventing the use of ‘pre-court’ options, including<br />

warnings and conditional cautions.<br />

Sentencing for breach: guideline and<br />

principles applying to young people<br />

The guideline is clear that custody should be used<br />

as a last resort for breach of an ASBO and that the<br />

custody threshold should be set at a significantly<br />

higher level than for <strong>sentencing</strong> an adult for the<br />

same offence. The notions of <strong>sentencing</strong> thresholds<br />

for community or custodial sentences apply as for<br />

other offences. 7 Thus, community or custodial<br />

sentences must be warranted by the seriousness of<br />

the offence where no other sentence can be<br />

justified.<br />

In most cases, where the breach is admitted and<br />

there are no previous convictions, the sentence will<br />

be a referral order. 8 In other cases, the appropriate<br />

sentence is likely to be a community sentence.<br />

Sentencing depends, in large part, on the court’s<br />

assessment of seriousness, taking into account<br />

aggravating and mitigating factors, culpability and<br />

other considerations described below. Dependent<br />

on that assessment the guideline establishes<br />

principles that:<br />

• A fine or reparation order is appropriate where<br />

the breach is less serious (such as where it did<br />

not involve any harassment, alarm or distress).<br />

By law, a conditional discharge is not available<br />

for breach of an ASBO. 9<br />

• For the custody threshold to be crossed, the<br />

breach should normally involve serious<br />

harassment, alarm or distress. To be considered<br />

‘serious’, the breach should involve either the use<br />

of violence, threats or intimidation or the<br />

targeting of groups or individuals that led to a<br />

fear of violence. Exceptionally, the threshold<br />

might be crossed as a result of more than one<br />

offence, although there should still have been a<br />

substantial amount of harassment, alarm or<br />

distress involved.<br />

The principle of custody as a last resort, reflecting<br />

the requirements of international children’s human<br />

rights convention, lacks clear definition in domestic<br />

law. 10 But the guideline goes some way in<br />

strengthening the principle, and sets the normal<br />

maximum sentence as 12 months detention, by<br />

stating that:<br />

even where the custody threshold is crossed, the<br />

court should normally impose a community<br />

sentence in preference to a DTO, as custody<br />

should be used only as a measure of last resort;<br />

and<br />

where the court considers a custodial sentence to<br />

be unavoidable, the starting point for <strong>sentencing</strong><br />

should be 4 months detention, with a range up to<br />

12 months. Where a youth is being sentenced for<br />

more than one breach involving serious<br />

harassment, alarm or distress, the sentence may<br />

go beyond that range.<br />

page 3


Breach of anti-social behaviour orders Sentencing <strong>guidelines</strong><br />

In addition, it might be noted that the equivalent<br />

guideline for adults gives a starting point of six<br />

weeks custody, a period that is not available for<br />

children and young people due to the minimum<br />

length of a detention and training order being set at<br />

four months. The guideline indicates that:<br />

The custody threshold should be set at a<br />

significantly higher level than the threshold<br />

applicable to adult offenders.<br />

The only form of custody available for breach of<br />

ASBO in the case of a child below the age of 18<br />

years is a detention and training order. (An order<br />

under section 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts<br />

(Sentencing) Act 2000 is not available). As a<br />

consequence, there is no power to impose custody<br />

on a child aged 10 or 11 and detention is only<br />

available for a child aged from 12 to 14 only where<br />

if the court considers him or her to be a ‘persistent<br />

offender’. 11<br />

Where a court imposes a community sentence and<br />

leaves the ASBO in force, any requirements imposed<br />

should not be so onerous, in combination with<br />

ASBO prohibitions, that further breach is likely.<br />

The welfare of the child or young person remains a<br />

factor that the court must take into account 12 but, in<br />

the case of <strong>sentencing</strong> for breach of an ASBO, this is<br />

balanced against the interests of the public. 13 The<br />

guideline notes that the best interests of the child<br />

must be ‘a primary consideration’ in accordance<br />

with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of<br />

the Child and the ‘Beijing Rules’. 14 The SGC has, in<br />

this guideline and others, stressed the relevance of<br />

intellectual and emotional maturity as a<br />

consideration that should influence <strong>sentencing</strong> and<br />

notes that this should not always be detemined on<br />

the basis of chronological age alone. Thus, the<br />

guideline states that:<br />

A young offender is likely to perceive a particular<br />

time period as being longer in comparison with<br />

an adult, and this may be of relevance when<br />

considering how much time has elapsed between<br />

imposition and breach of the order.<br />

Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the<br />

guideline, if followed, should result in custody for<br />

ASBO breaches in exceptional and rare<br />

circumstances only.<br />

Assessing seriousness of breach<br />

Essential considerations<br />

Initial assessment of seriousness of a breach is<br />

based on the culpability of the offender and the<br />

level of harm that was caused, was intended or was<br />

foreseeable. 15 These may be supplemented by<br />

consideration of aggravating and mitigating factors.<br />

Culpability is not a term that is always understood<br />

by children and young people who might better<br />

grasp the concept as the amount of blame, fault or<br />

criminality involved in their breach of a prohibition.<br />

The SGC has previously set out levels of culpability<br />

to assist courts in assessing seriousness. These<br />

range from the highest level involving intention to<br />

cause harm, through recklessness (as to harm being<br />

caused), does not intend harm (although aware of<br />

the possibility), through to the lower level of<br />

negligence. 16 Culpability can be, or even should be,<br />

reduced in the case of children and young people as<br />

a result of their lower intellectual or emotional<br />

maturity. Ashford, Chard and Redhouse identify<br />

some psychological features that may reduce<br />

culpability, including: 17<br />

• poor reasoning and problem-solving skills<br />

• the tendency for sensation-seeking<br />

• increased impulsivity<br />

• susceptibility to peer pressure.<br />

In outlining the approach to assessing culpability<br />

with regard to the seriousness of a breach of an<br />

ASBO, the guideline identifies two aspects, to do<br />

with intent to breach and intent to cause harm.<br />

Firstly, consideration should be given to the degree<br />

of intention to breach the order. This is ‘variable’<br />

but reflects the levels of culpability mentioned<br />

above. Thus, the person may have intended the<br />

breach, been reckless as to whether there was a<br />

breach, was merely aware of the risk of breach or, at<br />

the lower level, have been unaware of the risk of<br />

breach due to a lack of understanding of the<br />

prohibition(s).<br />

Secondly, consideration should be given to the<br />

degree to which the child or young person intended<br />

to cause the harm that resulted or could have<br />

resulted (or been foreseen). Harm may be harm<br />

caused to an individual, individuals or to the<br />

community or public at large. With regard to<br />

whether harm was foreseeable, the main test is that<br />

which would apply to ‘a reasonable person’. The<br />

SGC has previously stated that where harm was not<br />

easily foreseeable, the resulting lower level of<br />

culpability should carry more weight than the<br />

assessed level of harm. 18 Additionally, the<br />

assessment of seriousness can take into account<br />

whether the breach of a prohibition is relevant<br />

directly to the behaviour that the original ASBO was<br />

intended to prevent. Where in other words the<br />

young person engages in the kind of behaviour that<br />

led to an ASBO being imposed in the first place, the<br />

breach is likely to be more serious than where the<br />

behaviour is of a different sort.<br />

The guideline also confirms that the court may take<br />

into account, as one aspect of harm, the potential<br />

undermining of public confidence in the<br />

effectiveness of measures to address anti-social<br />

behaviour that might arise from the breach of a<br />

court ordered ASBO.<br />

page 4


YOUTH CRIME BRIEFING<br />

Breach of interim order<br />

The guideline is clear that breach of an interim<br />

order is of equal seriousness to the breach of a final<br />

order and that the approach to <strong>sentencing</strong> is the<br />

same. Sentencing should not be delayed to await the<br />

final hearing for the making of a final order<br />

although if they can be dealt with together that is<br />

preferable.<br />

Sentencing where a breach constitutes a<br />

new offence(s)<br />

Where a young person is taken to court for breach<br />

of an ASBO and the behaviour that constituted the<br />

breach represents an offence in its own right, there<br />

are a number of different possibilities. The court<br />

may be dealing with:<br />

• an offence of breach only, but one in which the<br />

circumstances of the breach constitute conduct<br />

that could have been charged as a new<br />

substantive offence, or<br />

• a substantive offence only, but one in which the<br />

conduct also constituted a breach of an ASBO<br />

prohibition, or<br />

• both offences (breach and new offence)<br />

Whichever of these apply, two main principles are<br />

set out in the guideline. Firstly, the result should be<br />

the same according to the facts and relevant aspects<br />

of the offence. Secondly, where the maximum<br />

sentence for the breach is greater than the<br />

maximum for the other offence (which could have<br />

been, or was, charged), the court should take this<br />

into account when determining what would<br />

constitute a proportionate disposal (but is not<br />

limited by it).<br />

Aggravating and mitigating factors<br />

The previous SGC guideline on seriousness 19<br />

contains a considerable number of examples of<br />

aggravating and mitigating factors, many of which<br />

might be relevant to breach of an ASBO. More<br />

specifically, the guideline gives some examples of<br />

aggravating and mitigating factors that could be<br />

considered (these apply to adult offenders):<br />

Aggravating factors include:<br />

• the young person has a history of disobedience<br />

to court orders<br />

• the breach was committed immediately or shortly<br />

after the ASBO was made<br />

• the breach was committed subsequent to earlier<br />

breach proceedings arising from the same order<br />

• there was targeting of a person the order was<br />

made to protect or a witness in the original<br />

proceedings.<br />

Examples of mitigating factors are:<br />

• the breach occurred after a long period of<br />

compliance<br />

• the prohibition(s) breached was not fully<br />

understood, especially where an interim order<br />

was made without notice.<br />

Personal mitigation<br />

Personal mitigation can be a factor in reducing the<br />

severity of sentence (along with other<br />

considerations such as a timely guilty plea). The<br />

guideline suggests that personal offender mitigation<br />

is particularly important in cases of breach of an<br />

ASBO because compliance depends on the ability of<br />

the subject to understand the prohibitions and<br />

terms of the order and to make rational decisions in<br />

relation to them. The guideline makes specific<br />

comment on <strong>sentencing</strong> children and young people,<br />

as mentioned earlier in this briefing, but also<br />

includes examples that might lead to mitigation of<br />

sentence for people of all ages:<br />

• the defendant has a lower level of understanding<br />

due to mental health issues or learning<br />

difficulties<br />

• the defendant was acting under the influence of<br />

an older or more experienced offender<br />

• there has been compliance with an individual<br />

support order or intervention order imposed<br />

when the ASBO was made.<br />

New arrangements for review of<br />

ASBOs and making ISOs<br />

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008<br />

introduces a new requirement to conduct reviews of<br />

ASBOs imposed on children and young people. It<br />

also amends the provisions in relation to individual<br />

support orders (ISOs) with the intention of<br />

encouraging an increase in the use of the latter. One<br />

of the purposes (among others) of requiring an<br />

annual review of an ASBO (the first review should<br />

normally be conducted within twelve months of the<br />

order being made) is to check the level of<br />

compliance with the order and its prohibitions.<br />

Thus, if good practice is established in line with the<br />

guidance, a reduction in breach proceedings might<br />

be achieved. The review process is intended to<br />

reflect the need to support children and young<br />

people and assist with compliance, rather than<br />

merely to enforce prohibitions. In the light of a<br />

review, a further application to a court might be<br />

made to discharge the ASBO where it is no longer<br />

considered necessary, or to modify it. The latter<br />

might involve varying the order by adding, reducing<br />

or amending the prohibitions attached to it.<br />

Prior to the legislative changes, there was a<br />

statutory presumption that the court should impose<br />

an ISO alongside an ASBO, made in civil proceedings<br />

page 5


Breach of anti-social behaviour orders Sentencing <strong>guidelines</strong><br />

against a young person below the age of 18 years, if<br />

the court formed the opinion that an ISO would help<br />

to prevent further anti-social behaviour. The new<br />

legislative provisions extend that presumption to<br />

ASBOs made in criminal proceedings and county<br />

courts. In addition, an application for an ISO can<br />

now be made at any point while the ASBO remains<br />

in force, whether or not one was made at the<br />

original hearing. For instance, an application for an<br />

ISO is one of the options that might be considered<br />

as part of an annual review of an ASBO.<br />

An ISO lasts for a maximum of six months, and the<br />

revised legislation permits authorities to seek a<br />

second (or subsequent) order when the existing one<br />

expires, providing that the length of the ISO does<br />

not exceed the remaining life of the ASBO. In<br />

combination, the changes mean that more ISOs can<br />

be anticipated in the coming period.<br />

Appendix 1<br />

Summary of principles and other<br />

considerations relevant to the making of an<br />

anti-social behaviour order<br />

1. Proceedings for the imposition of an ASBO are<br />

civil in nature, so that hearsay evidence is<br />

admissible, but a court must be satisfied to a<br />

criminal standard that the individual has acted<br />

in the anti-social manner alleged.<br />

2. The test of ‘necessity’ requires the exercise of<br />

judgement or evaluation; it does not require<br />

proof beyond reasonable doubt that the order is<br />

‘necessary’.<br />

3. It is particularly important that the findings of<br />

fact giving rise to the making of the order are<br />

recorded by the court.<br />

4. As the ASBO is a preventative order it is<br />

unlawful to use it as a punishment; so, when<br />

<strong>sentencing</strong> an offender, a court must not allow<br />

itself to be diverted into making an ASBO as an<br />

alternative or additional sanction.<br />

5. The police have powers to arrest an individual<br />

for any criminal offence, and the court should<br />

not impose an order which prohibits the subject<br />

from committing an offence if it will not add<br />

significantly to the existing powers of the police<br />

to protect others from anti-social behaviour by<br />

the subject. An order must not prohibit a<br />

criminal offence merely to increase the sentence<br />

range available for that offence.<br />

6. The terms of the order made must be precise<br />

and capable of being understood by the<br />

subject. 20 Where the subject is aged below<br />

18 years, it is important for both the subject<br />

and the parent or guardian to confirm their<br />

understanding of the order and its terms. The<br />

prohibitions must be enforceable in the sense<br />

that they should allow a breach to be readily<br />

identified and capable of being proved.<br />

7. An order should not impose a ‘standard list’ of<br />

prohibitions, but should identify and prohibit<br />

the particular type of anti-social behaviour that<br />

gives rise to the necessity of an ASBO. Each<br />

separate prohibition must be necessary to<br />

protect persons from anti-social behaviour by<br />

the subject, and each order must be specifically<br />

fashioned to deal with the individual concerned.<br />

8. The order must be proportionate to the<br />

legitimate aim pursued and commensurate with<br />

the risk guarded against. The court should avoid<br />

making compliance very difficult through the<br />

imposition of numerous prohibitions, and those<br />

that will cause great disruption to the subject<br />

should be considered with particular care. It is<br />

advisable to make an order for a specific period;<br />

when considering the duration of an order<br />

imposed on a youth, the potential for the<br />

subject to mature may be a relevant factor.<br />

9. Not all prohibitions set out in an ASBO have to<br />

run for the full term of the ASBO itself. The test<br />

must always be what is necessary to deal with<br />

the particular anti-social behaviour of the<br />

offender and what is proportionate in the<br />

circumstances. At least one of the prohibitions<br />

must last for the duration of the order but not<br />

all are required to last for the two years that is<br />

the minimum length of an order. The court can<br />

vary the terms of an order at any time upon<br />

application by the subject (or the applicant in<br />

the case of an order made upon application).<br />

10. When making an order upon conviction, the<br />

court has the power to suspend its terms until<br />

the offender has been released from a custodial<br />

sentence. However, where a custodial sentence<br />

of 12 months or more is imposed and the<br />

offender is liable to be released on licence and<br />

thus subject to recall, an order will not generally<br />

be necessary. There might be cases where<br />

geographical restraints could supplement<br />

licence conditions.<br />

11. Other considerations:<br />

(i) Where an ASBO is imposed on a subject aged<br />

10 – 17, the court must consider whether a<br />

parenting order would be desirable in the<br />

interests of preventing repetition of the antisocial<br />

behaviour. Such an order must be made<br />

where the young person is aged below 16 years<br />

and the condition is met, but is discretionary<br />

where the young person is aged 16 or 17.<br />

(ii) Where a magistrates’ court imposes an ASBO<br />

on a young person, it must also consider<br />

whether an individual support order (ISO) would<br />

be desirable to tackle the underlying causes of<br />

the behaviour.<br />

(iii) In the case of an adult, the court may make<br />

an intervention order if the underlying causes of<br />

the anti-social behaviour are drug-related and<br />

appropriate treatment is available.<br />

page 6


YOUTH CRIME BRIEFING<br />

12. Interim orders:<br />

Where a decision to impose an order (either<br />

upon application or conviction) is pending, the<br />

court may make an interim order if it considers<br />

it just to do so. The court must balance the<br />

seriousness of the behaviour and the urgency<br />

with which it is necessary to take steps to<br />

control it, with the likely impact of an interim<br />

order upon the potential subject. 21<br />

page 7


Breach of anti-social behaviour orders Sentencing <strong>guidelines</strong><br />

References<br />

1 Sentencing Guidelines Council (December 2008) Breach of<br />

an anti-social behaviour order: definitive Guideline.<br />

Available at http://www.<strong>sentencing</strong>-<strong>guidelines</strong>.gov.uk/<br />

2 YJB/ACPO/Home Office (2009) A Guide to Reviewing<br />

Anti-social Behaviour Orders given to Young People and<br />

Individual Support Orders. Available at http://www.<br />

respect.gov.uk/uploadedFiles/Members_site/Documents_<br />

and_images/Enforcement_tools_and_powers/ASBO_<br />

ISOReviewGuideJan09_0157.pdf<br />

3 This is in line with international convention, treaties and<br />

rules for juvenile justice, including the United Nations<br />

Convention on the Rights of the Child available at<br />

www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm<br />

4 See Nacro (2007) Sentencing <strong>guidelines</strong> for juveniles: part<br />

one. Youth crime briefing, December 2007. Nacro.<br />

Available for download at http://www.nacro.org.uk/data/<br />

resources/nacro-2008050100.pdf<br />

5 See section 172 of Criminal Justice Act 2003<br />

6 Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)11 of the Committee of<br />

Ministers to member states on the European Rules for<br />

juvenile offenders subject to sanctions or measures<br />

Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 5 November<br />

2008. Available at www.europeanrights.eu/getFile.<br />

php?name=public/atti/racc_ing.doc<br />

7 Sections 148(1) and 152(2) of Criminal Justice Act 2003<br />

8 But note that a court dealing with a breach of an<br />

individual support order does not have a referral order<br />

available<br />

9 Section 1(11) of Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Note that<br />

this precludes the use of a conditional discharge but not<br />

an absolute discharge<br />

10 The SCG previously published a useful guideline to assist<br />

with determining <strong>sentencing</strong> thresholds. See: Sentencing<br />

Guidelines Council (2004) Overarching Principles:<br />

seriousness available at www.<strong>sentencing</strong>-<strong>guidelines</strong>.gov.uk<br />

11 For further details of the availability of the detention and<br />

training order, see Nacro (2007) The detention and training<br />

order: current position and future developments. Youth<br />

crime briefing, June 2007. Nacro<br />

12 Section 44 of Children and Young Persons Act 1933. Also<br />

note the relevance of welfare in <strong>sentencing</strong> included in<br />

section 11 of Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008<br />

13 The guideline refers to the judgement in R (A) v Leeds<br />

Magistrates’ Court [2004] EWHC Admin 554 which held<br />

that in the case of a child, the child’s best interests are a<br />

primary consideration but so are the interests of the<br />

public<br />

14 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child<br />

(particularly Article 3), available at www2.ohchr.org/<br />

english/law/crc.htm . The ‘Beijing Rules’ are the United<br />

Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration<br />

of Juvenile Justice, available at www.ohchr.org<br />

15 Section 143(1) of Criminal Justice Act 2003<br />

16 Sentencing Guidelines Council (2004) Overarching<br />

Principles: Seriousness available at www.<strong>sentencing</strong><strong>guidelines</strong>.gov.uk<br />

17 Ashford, M, Chard, A, Redhouse, N (2006) Defending Young<br />

People in the Criminal Justice System (Third Edition). Legal<br />

Action Group. London<br />

18 SGC (2004) op cit<br />

19 SGC (2004) op cit<br />

20 A Guide for the Judiciary produced by the Judicial Studies<br />

Board (third edition published January 2007) provides a<br />

list of examples of prohibitions that the higher courts<br />

have found to be too wide or poorly drafted.<br />

See www.jsboard.co.uk<br />

21 Leeds Magistrates’ Court, ex parte Kenny; Secretary of State<br />

for Constitutional Affairs and another, ex parte M [2004]<br />

EWCA Civ 312<br />

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