Exclude rape and grooming offences from earlier release
“That’s why we’re making significant changes: offenders who have been sentenced for rape, serious child sex offences and other grooming offences will be excluded from the changes.”
- Delivered
Where it stands
The Sentencing Act 2026 (Commencement No. 6 and Revocation) Regulations 2026, made on 1 September, brought the earlier release points into force on 1 October 2026, but not for sentences for the offences in their Schedule. The Schedule lists rape, child sex offences and meeting a child following sexual grooming. On 30 August the Prime Minister widened the exclusions to manslaughter, death by dangerous driving and indecent assault, and the Schedule lists those too. The Ministry of Justice publishes the full list of excluded offences.
What has happened
- Aug 2026The Prime Minister says offenders sentenced for rape, serious child sex offences and other grooming offences will be excluded from the changes to prison release, Promised
- Sep 2026The commencement regulations are made; their Schedule excludes these offences from the earlier release points, Legislated evidence
- Oct 2026The earlier release points come into force, except for sentences for the offences in the Schedule, Delivered evidence
About the cost
No cost has been published.
More detail
Sources (4)
- No 10 and Ministry of Justice press release, 4 Aug 2026: Rape, serious child sex and grooming offences barred from sentencing changes
- No 10 press release, 30 Aug 2026: Prime Minister blocks hundreds more criminals from sentencing changes
- The Sentencing Act 2026 (Commencement No. 6 and Revocation) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/953), Schedule: excluded offences
- Ministry of Justice: Sentencing Act 2026 offence exclusions
How cards are checked
Status follows the promise standard, the same for every party. A status changes only on evidence. Anyone named on a card can reply, and replies are published next to it. AI Journalist is our automated reviewer: it re-reads every card against its live sources (the quote word for word, dates, evidence, status, cost, neutral wording, legal risk). An editor, Pavel Guzhikov, then checks each card against its sources and approves it.
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