Scottish Sentencing Council

What Scottish Sentencing Council does

The Scottish Sentencing Council is a statutory advisory body of the Scottish Government, established in 2015 under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010. It is headquartered at Parliament House in Edinburgh and operates with a small core staff of nine employees under administrative support from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. The Council's statutory mandate is to prepare sentencing guidelines for Scottish criminal courts, assist the development of sentencing policy, publish guideline judgments and information about sentences handed down, and promote greater awareness and understanding of sentencing. Its core product is a set of sentencing guidelines (general principles plus specific offence-type guidelines) that must be approved by the High Court of Justiciary before taking effect.

The Council's product surface extends beyond formal guidelines into a structured public-engagement platform. This includes the Scottish Sentencing Conversations podcast, the Spotlight on Sentencing blog, short sentencing videos (with easy-listen and easy-watch versions), interactive case studies ("If You Were the Judge"), a Jargon Buster glossary, a Myth Buster resource, and lesson plans and lecture materials for secondary schools developed in partnership with the Modern Studies Association. Public consultations on draft guidelines (e.g., domestic abuse) constitute a formal input channel into the guideline development process. The Council's primary beneficiaries are Scottish judges and courts, with secondary beneficiaries including victims of crime, secondary school students, and the general public.

The Council does not operate as a commercial enterprise. It generates no revenue, charges no fees, and is funded through the Scottish Government / Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service structure. Distribution of guidelines and educational resources is free of charge and runs through the official website (scottishsentencingcouncil.org.uk), direct dissemination to Scottish courts, and partnerships with the Modern Studies Association, Victim Support Scotland, and other Scottish justice bodies. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capability, no software product, and no API; the Council's "technology" is its institutional authority and the cumulative body of approved guidelines and educational content.

Name

Scottish Sentencing Council

Legal name

Scottish Sentencing Council

Website

https://scottishsentencingcouncil.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Scottish Sentencing Council is a statutory advisory body of the Scottish Government, established in 2015, that develops sentencing guidelines for Scottish criminal courts and promotes public awareness of sentencing policy and practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Criminal Justice Policy

NAICS

Courts (92211), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Other Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922190)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Judicial Oversight, Sentencing & Parole Boards (BPAIAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Provincial Corrections, Probation & Parole Administration (BPAIABAF)

Keywords

• Sentencing guidelines
• Criminal justice policy
• Judicial advisory services
• Court education resources
• Public legal information

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Scottish Sentencing Council is a statutory advisory body that develops sentencing guidelines for criminal courts in Scotland, covering general guidelines applicable to all offences and specific guidelines for particular offence types or categories of offenders. It also publishes guideline judgments, runs public consultations on draft guidelines, and provides a broad portfolio of free educational resources—including interactive case studies, lesson plans, videos, podcasts, and a glossary—aimed at judges, victims, schools, and the general public.

Product overview

The Scottish Sentencing Council is a statutory body established under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 to promote consistency in sentencing practice, assist policy development on sentencing, and promote awareness of sentencing in Scotland. The Council operates a comprehensive educational platform comprising multiple interconnected products: sentencing guidelines (core regulatory product), interactive case studies allowing users to role-play as judges, video content including the Sentencing Process Video and Sentencing Videos series, the Scottish Sentencing Conversations Podcast, educational resources including lectures and lesson plans for secondary schools, a jargon buster glossary, publications and guideline judgments, public consultations, and informational resources for victims. The organization does not offer commercial software products but rather public-facing educational and informational services about the Scottish justice system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sentencing Guidelines Approved sentencing guidelines that help Scottish judges decide what sentences to give for criminal offences, covering general guidelines applicable to all offences and specific guidelines for particular offence types or categories of offenders. Guidelines must be approved by the High Court of Justiciary before taking effect.
• Sentencing Process Video Interactive educational video explaining the steps Scottish judges follow when deciding a sentence, allowing users to play the role of sheriff and select sentences in interactive scenarios. Aimed at the general public, schools, and victims.
• Interactive Case Studies ('If You Were the Judge') Interactive educational case studies allowing users to role-play as judges and make sentencing decisions across different offence types including robbery, speeding, and death by driving. Designed for classroom use and public engagement.
• Lectures and Lesson Plans Lesson plans on community and prison sentencing developed for Modern Studies teachers at Scottish secondary schools to support classroom teaching about the justice system and sentencing.
• Publications and Guideline Judgments Published guideline judgments issued by courts and other sentencing-related publications including reports, consultation documents, and sentencing statements for public and professional reference.
• Public Consultations on Draft Guidelines Formal public consultation exercises on proposed sentencing guidelines (including the draft domestic abuse guideline), seeking views from legal professionals, experts, and members of the public during guideline development.
• Jargon Buster Glossary A comprehensive A-to-Z glossary explaining legal and sentencing terminology used in the Scottish justice system, designed to make the Council's content accessible to non-specialists including victims, students, and the general public.
• Sentencing Videos Short videos explaining sentencing concepts for victims of crime, offenders, and their families, including easy-listen and easy-watch formats. Features contributions from a sheriff, journalist, victims' expert, offender, and academic.
• Information for Victims Information about the rights of victims of crime and the services and support available to them across the Scottish justice system, including signposting to Victim Support Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service.
• Scottish Sentencing Conversations Podcast Podcast series featuring discussions on sentencing topics including prison sentencing and other justice-related subjects, intended to raise public awareness and understanding of sentencing policy and practice.
• MSA Essay Competition Essay writing competition for S4-S6 secondary school students in Scotland, conducted in partnership with the Modern Studies Association, on the question 'Is Sentencing in Scotland Fair?' Designed to engage students with sentencing policy and practice.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Modern Studies AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Modern Studies Association to develop educational resources for secondary school students. Together they run the MSA Essay Competition asking students 'Is Sentencing in Scotland Fair?'
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal ServicecoreOthersKey justice partner referenced on the website for enquiries about court prosecutions and fatal accident inquiries. Part of the broader Scottish justice ecosystem.
• Scottish Courts and Tribunals ServicecoreOthersProvides administrative support to the Scottish Sentencing Council under statutory obligation under section 62 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008.
• Sentencing Council for England and WalesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimilar organisation with comparable aims - issues sentencing guidelines and promotes transparency and consistency in sentencing. Occasional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Faculty of AdvocatesminorOthersProfessional body for advocates in Scotland, referenced for providing information about advocates and their work.
• Law Society of ScotlandminorOthersProfessional governing body for Scottish solicitors, referenced for providing information about solicitors and legislation.
• Police ScotlandcoreOthersKey partner in the Scottish justice system with 14 local policing divisions. Referenced in case studies and educational materials.
• Scottish Prison ServicecoreOthersJustice partner providing information relating to prison incidents, how prisons are run, and the Victim Notification Scheme.
• Victim Support ScotlandcoreOthersJustice partner providing help, support and information to victims and witnesses of crime in Scotland.
• Parole Board for ScotlandminorOthersIndependent body which decides on when eligible offenders are ready to leave prison. Referenced in blog content explaining their role.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service: Scotland's prosecution service and a core justice-ecosystem partner of the Sentencing Council. While much larger and operational rather than advisory, it shares the Scottish statutory public-body character and is directly engaged with sentencing outcomes the Council's guidelines shape.
• Parole Board for Scotland: Independent body deciding parole release for eligible offenders in Scotland. Operates in an adjacent area of the criminal justice pipeline (post-sentencing supervision) and shares the small statutory body profile and justice-ecosystem positioning of the Sentencing Council.
• Judicial College (Judicial Office): UK-wide body supporting judicial training, welfare, and development, including guidance relevant to sentencing practice. Comparable as a justice-system body that produces guidance and training resources, though covering a much broader remit than the Scottish Sentencing Council's guideline-focused work.
• Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: Statutory body providing administrative support to Scottish courts and tribunals, including a statutory obligation to support the Sentencing Council under section 62 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008. A direct parent/supporting entity with overlapping justice mandate.

Others

• Scottish Prison Service: Operates Scotland's prisons and is closely connected to sentencing outcomes (custodial sentence application and execution). A justice-ecosystem partner of the Sentencing Council whose work is directly affected by the guidelines the Council produces, making it an adjacent rather than direct peer.

Direct peers

• Judicial Council for Scotland: Statutory body representing the judiciary in Scotland, with overlapping judicial-leadership composition and parallel role in supporting judicial standards and training. Comparable as a small Scottish statutory justice-body with similar advisory mandate.
• Sentencing Council for England and Wales: The directly analogous statutory body for England and Wales, with comparable mandate to issue sentencing guidelines for criminal courts and promote consistency and public understanding of sentencing. Already noted as a knowledge-sharing partner by the Scottish Sentencing Council, making it the closest functional peer.
• Scottish Law Commission: An independent statutory body that reviews and reforms Scots law, including areas intersecting with sentencing and criminal justice. Comparable as a Scottish statutory law-reform advisory body with similar governance, scale, and government-tied funding model.

Regional players

• Sentencing Advisory Council (Victoria, Australia): Australian state-level sentencing advisory body that issues sentencing guidelines and reports to the Sentencing Advisory Council and courts. Functionally analogous to the Scottish Sentencing Council as a jurisdiction-specific sentencing advisory body, though operating under different statutory authority.
• Law Commission (England and Wales): Independent statutory body reviewing and reforming the law of England and Wales, including areas touching sentencing. Comparable in function as a law-reform and advisory body, but operating in a different UK jurisdiction with a broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scottish-sentencing-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Scottish Sentencing Council