§ 36. Mr. BrandrethTo ask the Attorney-General how many sentences he has referred to the Court of Appeal as being unduly lenient in the last year; and what the outcome has been in these cases.
The Solicitor-GeneralFor the period 1 March 1993 to 28 February 1994, the Attorney-General applied for leave to refer a total of 32 sentences to the Court of Appeal of which one was to the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland. Two cases were later withdrawn. Twenty-one cases have so far been considered by the court. In each case, leave was granted and in 16 the court substituted a higher sentence. Nine cases await hearing.