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:

The Sentencing Academy Team

Professor Julian Roberts KC (Hon)

Co-Executive Director

Dr Jonathan Bild

Deputy Director

Estella Baker

Co-Executive Director

Ellie Cumbo

Director of External Relations

Cynthia Akinsanya

Outreach & Engagement Lead

Gavin Dingwall

Head of Policy and Communications

Annabel Taiti

Finance and Operations Administrator

Lewis Hazeldine

Kalisher Trust Intern

The Sentencing Academy Trustees

Mike Hough

Bethany Currie

Gregor Donaldson

Orla Slattery

Anna Draper

Peter Hungerford-welch

Ian Brownhill

Section Title

Totality

Totality comes into play when one of two situations arises during a sentencing exercise: Where someone is being sentenced for multiple offences and where an offender is already serving an existing...

Response to Independent Sentencing Review 2024 to 2025

The Sentencing Academy has submitted a response to the Independent Sentencing Review 2024 to 2025. You can read our response below and also an additional technical appendix that sets out further...

Sentencing Council, Sentencing Academy and The City Law School join forces to explore perspectives on sentencing

Leading experts in the field of sentencing gathered to explore important and current sentencing-related issues at a seminar jointly hosted by the Sentencing Council, Sentencing Academy and The City...

Sentencing Academy welcomes two new members of staff

In what promises to be a busy year for sentencing in England and Wales, with an Independent Sentencing Review currently underway, the Sentencing Academy is delighted to welcome two new members of...

Perspectives on Sentencing Seminar

The Sentencing Academy is delighted to be co-hosting, with the Sentencing Council and The City Law School, a day-long event – ‘Perspectives on Sentencing’ – on Friday 10...

Who’s in Prison and What’s the Purpose of Imprisonment? A Survey of Public Knowledge and Attitudes

The Sentencing Academy has published a new report, authored by Julian V. Roberts, Lilly Crellin, Jonathan Bild and Jade Mouton, that examines public knowledge of, and attitudes to, imprisonment. The...

Children’s Knowledge and Opinion of Sentencing

The Sentencing Academy has published a new report, authored by Professor Kathryn Hollingsworth, Dr Jonathan Bild and Professor Gavin Dingwall, that explores what children above the above of criminal...

Disproportionality in sentencing for Black, Asian and minority ethnic defendants

By Sarah Sawyerr JP In a truly fair and democratic society, its justice system should treat everyone equally under the law. When those laws are broken and an individual comes before the criminal...

Roundtable on Children’s Knowledge and Opinion of Sentencing and Public Knowledge and Opinion of Imprisonment

The Sentencing Academy held a roundtable to launch two groundbreaking reports on public opinion and sentencing at City Law School on 16 September 2024. Professor Peter Hungerford-Welch, one of our...

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.

Sarah McManus

Director of Operations

Sarah has worked for over 27 years in senior positions within social housing and the charitable sector across the North East and Yorkshire.

Prior to joining The Sentencing Academy she was CEO for almost seven years of an outreach and prevention charity in Teesside where she was a passionate ambassador for social change and access to justice for some of the most marginalised and discriminated women, families and young people in the region.

Sarah McManus

Director of Operations

Sarah has worked for over 27 years in senior positions within social housing and the charitable sector across the North East and Yorkshire.

Prior to joining The Sentencing Academy she was CEO for almost seven years of an outreach and prevention charity in Teesside where she was a passionate ambassador for social change and access to justice for some of the most marginalised and discriminated women, families and young people in the region.

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.

Gavin Dingwall

Head of Policy and Communications

Gavin combines his Academy work with a Professorship in Law at Northumbria University.

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).

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.  

Georgia-Mae Chung

Kalisher Trust Intern

Georgia-Mae is a Trainee Legal Advisor at the Thames and Stratford Magistrates’ Courts. Previously, she was employed as a Paralegal and then the Legal Triage Officer at Suffolk Law Centre where she specialised in advising vulnerable people. 

Simultaneously, she was the Community Projects Officer at the Ipswich and Suffolk Council of Racial Equality where she evaluated Suffolk Police’s use of stop and search at public meetings and worked with prisoners, healthcare professionals, and politicians. During the Bar Professional Training Course, she volunteered for organisations providing information to prisoners and unrepresented individuals about the law and rehabilitation.

Additionally, whilst studying at university, she worked in politics and retail.

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.

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.