Purpose

The Sentencing Academy is a research and engagement charitable incorporated organisation dedicated to developing understanding of sentencing in England and Wales and informing public debate.

It promotes an evidence-based approach to sentencing and encourages effective sentencing practices that reduce re-offending, provide justice to victims, and promote public confidence.

Our work is diverse and broad, covering sentencing for both youths and adults from out of court disposals through to release from custody and post-release conditions. We act as a hub for a growing network of researchers active in this field of work, commissioning, and co-ordinating original and experimental research.

Our Work

We offer a range of services as follows:

  • Research reviews
  • Commissioning and co-ordinating original and experimental research.
  • Knowledge exchange and discussion seminars
  • Bespoke practitioner learning and development seminars.
  • Developing early career professionals through our Intern Programme
  • Engaging with policy makers and key stakeholders
  • Evidence led consultation response
  • Awareness raising and access to expert knowledge and resources for the general public.
  • Encouraging partnerships and collaborations

The Sentencing Academy Team

Professor Julian Roberts KC (Hon)

Co-Executive Director

j.roberts@sentencingacademy.org.uk
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Dr Jonathan Bild

Deputy Director

j.bild@sentencingacademy.org.uk
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Professor Estella Baker

Co-Executive Director

e.baker@sentencingacademy.org.uk
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Ellie Cumbo

Director of External Relations

e.cumbo@sentencingacademy.org.uk
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Cynthia Akinsanya

Outreach & Engagement Lead

c.akinsanya@sentencingacademy.org.uk
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Annalena Wolcke

Research & Policy Officer

a.wolcke@sentencingacademy.org.uk
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Annabel Taiti

Finance and Operations Administrator

a.taiti@sentencingacademy.org.uk
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Lewis Hazeldine

Kalisher Trust Intern

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The Sentencing Academy Trustees

Mike Hough

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Bethany Currie

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Orla Slattery

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Anna Draper

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Peter Hungerford-welch

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Section Title

Public Opinion and the Language of Sentencing

ByJon September 22, 2025 News
The Sentencing Academy has published a new report, authored by Rory Kelly, Julian V. Roberts, Jonathan Bild and Raphael Freund, that explores public understanding of some key sentencing terminology...
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Finance and Accounting Trustee Vacancy

ByAnnabel September 18, 2025 News,Uncategorized
The Sentencing Academy is seeking to appoint a Finance and Accounting Trustee to our Board of Trustees to join its existing members: Professor Mike Hough (Chair); Bethany Currie; Anna Draper;...
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The new Sentencing Bill

ByJon September 15, 2025 News
The Sentencing Academy welcomes David Lammy as the new Lord Chancellor, and Baroness Alison Levitt and Jake Richards as new Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State. With Second Reading of the new...
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A Legislative Presumption Against the Use of Short Prison Sentences

ByJon July 4, 2025 Blog,News
In its response to the Gauke Sentencing Review, the government has indicated its intention to introduce a legislative restraint on courts’ discretion to impose a short prison sentence. Related...
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Sentence Reductions for Assisting the Police and Prosecution

ByJon June 30, 2025 News
By Fee Robinson Read the full paper here: Sentence Reductions for Assisting the Police and Prosecution Executive Summary: • All common law jurisdictions award sentence reductions to offenders who...
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Sentencing Academy welcomes the final report of the Independent Sentencing Review

ByJon May 22, 2025 News
The Sentencing Academy welcomes today’s final report of the Independent Sentencing Review. It is clear that David Gauke and his panel of experts have undertaken a serious and evidence-led exercise in...
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Measuring Sentence Inflation in England and Wales

ByJon April 27, 2025 News
The Sentencing Academy has published a new analysis, authored by Jose Pina-Sánchez, Julian V. Roberts and Jonathan Bild, of sentence inflation in England and Wales since 2005. Read the report here:...
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Briefing: Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill

ByJon April 14, 2025 News
Background On 1 April 2025, the Government published the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill. It will have its Second Reading on 22nd April. This draft legislation amends the Coroners...
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The Government, Parliament and the Sentencing Council

ByJon March 31, 2025 News
The recent disagreement between the Lord Chancellor and the Sentencing Council has raised questions about how the Council develops its guidelines, and how much input the Government currently has into...
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The Sentencing Academy is funded by the Dawes Trust.

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Registered charity no: 1183958

© The Sentencing Academy 2024.

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info@sentencingacademy.org.uk

Unit 112                                                  254 Pentonville Road              London                                                    N1 9JY 

Tel: 0203 823 2743

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Contact

info@sentencingacademy.org.uk

Bentham House
4-8 Endsleigh Gardens
London
WC1H OEG

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Professor Julian Roberts

Executive Director

Julian V. Roberts is a Professor of Criminology in the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford and former member of the Sentencing Council of England and Wales (2009-2018).

He was an advisor to the American Law Institute Model Penal Code Sentencing Project and has been a Visiting Professor at: the Faculty of Law, University of Ferrara; Haifa Global Law School; School of Law, Kings College; the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge; the Centre of Criminology, University of Toronto; the School of Criminology, Catholic University of Leuven and the Department of Criminology, Université Libre de Bruxelles. His research and teaching interests include: Sentencing; Public Opinion; and the Criminal Process.

Professor Julian Roberts

Executive Director

Julian V. Roberts is a Professor of Criminology in the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford and former member of the Sentencing Council of England and Wales (2009-2018).

He was an advisor to the American Law Institute Model Penal Code Sentencing Project and has been a Visiting Professor at: the Faculty of Law, University of Ferrara; Haifa Global Law School; School of Law, Kings College; the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge; the Centre of Criminology, University of Toronto; the School of Criminology, Catholic University of Leuven and the Department of Criminology, Université Libre de Bruxelles. His research and teaching interests include: Sentencing; Public Opinion; and the Criminal Process.

Dr Jonathan Bild

Deputy Director

Before joining the Sentencing Academy, Jon held a variety of teaching positions between 2011-19 at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, where he primarily taught courses on criminal justice.

He was awarded his PhD by the same institution in 2014, with a thesis examining the evolution of sentencing for murder in England and Wales.

Dr Jonathan Bild

Deputy Director

Before joining the Sentencing Academy, Jon held a variety of teaching positions between 2011-19 at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, where he primarily taught courses on criminal justice.

He was awarded his PhD by the same institution in 2014, with a thesis examining the evolution of sentencing for murder in England and Wales.

Professor Estella Baker

Co-Executive Director

Estella developed interdisciplinary expertise in punishment and sentencing; EU/European criminal law and justice; and mentally disordered offenders during her academic career before joining the Sentencing Academy. 
She has held visiting positions at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge; Simon Fraser University, British Columbia; and the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Penal Law in Freiburg. Prior to Brexit, she was a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on EU Criminal Policy, and she has delivered training for the Judicial College (2012-2014) and for the European Judicial Training Network (since 2016).

Professor Estella Baker

Co-Executive Director

Estella developed interdisciplinary expertise in punishment and sentencing; EU/European criminal law and justice; and mentally disordered offenders during her academic career before joining the Sentencing Academy. 
She has held visiting positions at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge; Simon Fraser University, British Columbia; and the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Penal Law in Freiburg. Prior to Brexit, she was a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on EU Criminal Policy, and she has delivered training for the Judicial College (2012-2014) and for the European Judicial Training Network (since 2016).

Ellie Cumbo

Director of External Relations

Ellie Cumbo is a public policy specialist with significant experience of analysing and seeking to influence government decisions and legislation on justice. Prior to joining the Sentencing Academy, she was an adviser to Labour both in opposition and in government. She has also led policy teams at both the Law Society and Bar Council, and worked for leading charities focusing on the rehabilitation of offenders and the experience of victims.
 
In addition to her work at the Sentencing Academy, she is a freelance policy and strategy consultant in the voluntary sector, and a councillor in the London Borough of Southwark.
 

Ellie Cumbo

Director of External Relations

Ellie Cumbo is a public policy specialist with significant experience of analysing and seeking to influence government decisions and legislation on justice. Prior to joining the Sentencing Academy, she was an adviser to Labour both in opposition and in government. She has also led policy teams at both the Law Society and Bar Council, and worked for leading charities focusing on the rehabilitation of offenders and the experience of victims.
 
In addition to her work at the Sentencing Academy, she is a freelance policy and strategy consultant in the voluntary sector, and a councillor in the London Borough of Southwark.
 

Cynthia Akinsanya

Outreach & Engagement Lead

Cynthia has worked in the not-for-profit sector for regional, national, and international charities for almost 20 years and she has been a magistrate since 2008 in the adult courts.

Cynthia leads on cultivating relationships between The Sentencing Academy and the magistracy and voluntary organizations.

Cynthia Akinsanya

Outreach & Engagement Lead

Cynthia has worked in the not-for-profit sector for regional, national, and international charities for almost 20 years and she has been a magistrate since 2008 in the adult courts.

Cynthia leads on cultivating relationships between The Sentencing Academy and the magistracy and voluntary organizations.

Annalena Wolcke

Research & Policy Officer

Annalena Wolcke is a criminal justice researcher with significant experience in comparative and qualitative research methods. Prior to joining the Sentencing Academy, she was a social policy researcher at RAND Europe, where she evaluated intervention pilots and legislation in the criminal justice, education, and health sectors. Annalena holds a master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Oxford University, and is particularly interested in promoting evidence-based approaches to sentencing that take into consideration ethnic, socio-economic, and gender inequities.

In addition to her work at the Sentencing Academy, she is a trustee at a small research organisation, and volunteers as a court-watcher and restorative justice practitioner.

Gavin Dingwall

Senior Research Fellow

Gavin held a Chair in Criminal Justice Policy at De Montfort University, Leicester from 2012 until 2022. In 2016, he was Visiting Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.

His scholarship includes the following books: Minority Ethnic Prisoners and the COVID-19 Lockdown: Issues, Impacts and Implications (with Avril Brandon, 2022); Criminal Justice and the Pursuit of Truth (with Tim Hillier, 2021); Blamestorming, Blamemongers and Scapegoats: Allocating Blame in the Criminal Justice Process (with Tim Hillier, 2015); Alcohol and Crime (2006); Crime and Conflict in the Countryside (edited with Susan R. Moody, 1999); and Diversion in the Criminal Justice Process (with Christopher Harding, 1998).

Annabel Taiti

Finance and Operations Administrator

Annabel is a seasoned professional with a background in international development, covering programme management, finance, and operational areas of work supporting the most vulnerable in those societies. 

However, in recent years, her focus has shifted to national charities using her contributions to make a positive difference where it’s needed.  

Annabel Taiti

Finance and Operations Administrator

Annabel is a seasoned professional with a background in international development, covering programme management, finance, and operational areas of work supporting the most vulnerable in those societies. 

However, in recent years, her focus has shifted to national charities using her contributions to make a positive difference where it’s needed.  

Professor Mike Hough

Mike Hough is an Emeritus Professor at Birkbeck, University of London and a member of the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), which he founded and directed until his retirement in 2016. 

The European Society of Criminology awarded him the 2020 ESC European Criminology Award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to European criminology, and the British Society of Criminology awarded him its 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award.

Professor Mike Hough

Mike Hough is an Emeritus Professor at Birkbeck, University of London and a member of the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), which he founded and directed until his retirement in 2016. 

The European Society of Criminology awarded him the 2020 ESC European Criminology Award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to European criminology, and the British Society of Criminology awarded him its 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award.

Bethany Currie

Beth Currie is the Senior Researcher for Alex Cunningham MP, the Shadow Minister for Courts and Sentencing. 

She previously worked in other parliamentary offices and in the press office at the Crown Prosecution Service focussing on their media response to violence against women and girls.

Bethany Currie

Beth Currie is the Senior Researcher for Alex Cunningham MP, the Shadow Minister for Courts and Sentencing. 

She previously worked in other parliamentary offices and in the press office at the Crown Prosecution Service focussing on their media response to violence against women and girls.

Gregor Donaldson

Gregor Donaldson is currently a judicial clerk at the Royal Courts of Justice, having recently acquired a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) from BPP University. 

He has worked in public affairs, communications and journalism, and was previously employed by the UK Department for Health and Social Care and the World Health Organization during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Mercy Corps Nigeria during the Boko Haram displacement crisis. He completed his undergraduate degree in history at the University of Edinburgh before undertaking graduate study at Cambridge and Yale universities.

Orla Slattery

Orla Slattery is a lecturer at Nottingham Law School, where she teaches criminal law and practice on both undergraduate and professional courses. 

Orla previously worked as an in house solicitor providing advice to police forces. Orla also worked as a criminal defence duty solicitor, providing advice and representing clients at the police station, magistrates and crown court.

Orla Slattery

Orla Slattery is a lecturer at Nottingham Law School, where she teaches criminal law and practice on both undergraduate and professional courses. 

Orla previously worked as an in house solicitor providing advice to police forces. Orla also worked as a criminal defence duty solicitor, providing advice and representing clients at the police station, magistrates and crown court.

Anna Draper

Anna was a Kalisher intern at the Sentencing Academy between October 2021 and May 2022. She is a law graduate and has an MA in Legal and Political Theory from UCL. Anna is currently Training & Casework Coordinator at the death penalty charity, Amicus ALJ. 

She completed a placement in Texas in 2020 working on state and federal habeas appeals in capital cases and has experience in civil and criminal pro bono work. She is starting criminal pupillage at QEB Hollis Whiteman in September 2023 after being called to the Bar in 2021.

Anna Draper

Anna was a Kalisher intern at the Sentencing Academy between October 2021 and May 2022. She is a law graduate and has an MA in Legal and Political Theory from UCL. Anna is currently Training & Casework Coordinator at the death penalty charity, Amicus ALJ. 

She completed a placement in Texas in 2020 working on state and federal habeas appeals in capital cases and has experience in civil and criminal pro bono work. She is starting criminal pupillage at QEB Hollis Whiteman in September 2023 after being called to the Bar in 2021.

Peter Hungerford-Welch

Peter Hungerford-Welch is a Professor Law at The City Law School, City, University of London. His past and present teaching includes modules on the Bar Vocational Studies programme (the BVS) and the Master of Laws (LLM) programme, and supervision of dissertations on those programmes. He is a contributor to Blackstone’s Criminal Practice. 

His other major published work is Criminal Litigation and Sentencing (Routledge). He is a regular contributor to the Criminal Law Review and is the Cases Editor for that journal. He is an academic member of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee. He has been a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2003.

Peter Hungerford-Welch

Peter Hungerford-Welch is a Professor Law at The City Law School, City, University of London. His past and present teaching includes modules on the Bar Vocational Studies programme (the BVS) and the Master of Laws (LLM) programme, and supervision of dissertations on those programmes. He is a contributor to Blackstone’s Criminal Practice. 

His other major published work is Criminal Litigation and Sentencing (Routledge). He is a regular contributor to the Criminal Law Review and is the Cases Editor for that journal. He is an academic member of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee. He has been a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2003.

Ian Brownhill

Ian Brownhill is a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers and Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner for Kent. Ian has been involved in prison law for over a decade and was a caseworker at the Prisoners’ Advice Service before joining the Bar. 

Ian has particular interest and expertise in offenders with mental health or mental capacity issues and works extensively in cases where there is an overlap between the criminal justice system and the Court of Protection. Outside of criminal justice work, Ian works extensively in safeguarding cases and holds judicial positions at the Football Association and the British Equestrian Federation.

Ian Brownhill

Ian Brownhill is a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers and Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner for Kent. Ian has been involved in prison law for over a decade and was a caseworker at the Prisoners’ Advice Service before joining the Bar. 

Ian has particular interest and expertise in offenders with mental health or mental capacity issues and works extensively in cases where there is an overlap between the criminal justice system and the Court of Protection. Outside of criminal justice work, Ian works extensively in safeguarding cases and holds judicial positions at the Football Association and the British Equestrian Federation.