Court cases, orders and sentencing

A court order or sentence is the punishment given to you by a judge if a court decides you are guilty of a crime.

You can be given either:

• time in prison – known as a custodial sentence
• a sentence that is served outside of prison – known as a non-custodial sentence.

Find out more information on sentencing and community work.

Find out more information on going to prison.

What your sentence depends on

Your sentence will depend on many different factors.

These can include any of the following:

• the seriousness of the crime
• whether you have history of similar crimes
• if you pleaded guilty or not guilty.

Young people are treated differently by the courts.

Find out more information on young people in court.