Sentencing Act 2026

Sentencing Act 2026
Act of Parliament
	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision about the sentencing, release and management after sentencing of offenders; to make provision about bail; to make provision about the removal from the United Kingdom of foreign criminals; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2026 c. 2
Introduced by	Shabana Mahmood MP, Secretary of State for Justice (Commons); Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending (Lords)
Territorial extent	England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland (sections 18, 34(4), 34(5), 39(7) and part 5);
Dates
Royal assent	22 January 2026
Commencement	various
Other legislation
Amends	Prison Act 1952; Administration of Justice Act 1970; Bail Act 1974; Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; Bail Act 1976; Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984; Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988; Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989; Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993; Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995; Crime (Sentences) Act 1997; Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000; Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; Criminal Justice Act 2003; Armed Forces Act 2006; Offender Management Act 2007; UK Borders Act 2007; Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008; Coroners and Justice Act 2009; Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014; Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015; Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020; Sentencing Act 2020; Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022; Victims and Prisoners Act 2024;
Repeals/revokes	Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Requisite and Minimum Custodial Periods) Order 2024;
Status: Current legislation
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Sentencing Act 2026 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Sentencing Act 2026 (c. 2) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom primarily concerned with criminal sentencing in England and Wales (with a few measures also affecting Scotland and Northern Ireland).