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<p>The Attorney General’s Office received a number of referrals under the Unduly Lenient
Sentence (ULS) Scheme for the case of R v Broadhurst.</p><p> </p><p>The Law Officers
can only refer a sentence as unduly lenient if there has been a “gross error” resulting
in the sentence being significantly below the level that any judge could reasonably
have imposed. The power is one that should only be used in exceptional circumstances
and it is not an automatic prosecution right of appeal.</p><p> </p><p>After reviewing
the case I am satisfied that the judge approached the sentencing in the correct way
and I have concluded that the sentence was not outside the range of sentences that
were reasonably available to the judge. It would therefore not be right for me to
refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal.</p><p> </p><p>Sentencing is the responsibility
of the Ministry of Justice while charging decisions are an independent matter for
the Crown Prosecution Service.</p><p> </p>
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