Sentencing Act 2020

32 Disclosure of pre-sentence reports

(1) This section applies where the court obtains a pre-sentence report, other than a report given orally in open court.

Copy for offender and parent or guardian

(2) The court must give a copy of the report—

(a) to the offender or the offender’s legal representative, and

(b) if the offender is aged under 18, to any parent or guardian of the offender who is present in court.

(3) But if—

(a) the offender is aged under 18, and

(b) it appears to the court that the disclosure of any information contained in the report—

(i) to the offender, or

(ii) to a parent or guardian of the offender,

would be likely to create a risk of significant harm to the offender,

a complete copy of the report need not be given to the offender or, as the case may be, to that parent or guardian.

For this purpose, “harm” has the same meaning as in section 31 of the Children Act 1989.

Copy for prosecutor

(4) The court must give a copy of the report to the prosecutor, that is to say, the person having the conduct of the proceedings in respect of the offence.

(5) But a copy of the report need not be given to the prosecutor if the court considers that it would be inappropriate for the prosecutor to be given it.

But this subsection does not apply if the prosecutor is of a description specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(6) No information obtained by virtue of subsection (4) may be used or disclosed otherwise than for the purpose of—

(a) determining whether representations as to matters contained in the report need to be made to the court, or

(b) making such representations to the court.

(7) Regulations under subsection (5) are subject to the negative resolution procedure.