A SENIOR Kidderminster magistrate has been appointed to the Sentencing Council, the organisation that sets the guidelines used in all courts in England and Wales.

Jill Gramann, who has been a local magistrate for 25 years, will be the representative of the magistracy on this independent body, becoming one of the eight judicial members, who include representatives from the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal.

Alongside the judicial members, there are also six other criminal justice professionals who make up the council, including the head of the Crown Prosecution Service and a police chief constable.

The council’s work is very varied and current guidelines being developed cover theft, robbery and dangerous dog offences. Other guidelines it will be working on include assault and manslaughter.

Mrs Gramann said: “As a magistrate, I have been really impressed by the way the guidelines have been developed and presented and like most fellow magistrates, I find them an indispensable aid to sentencing and other judicial decision-making.

“I was therefore keen to become part of the team that will refine and expand guidelines and guidance in the coming years. I also want to ensure that the voice of the magistracy continues to have a real input into sentencing guidelines.

“The council has been very welcoming to me and I have found it intellectually demanding working alongside so many very quick and clear thinkers. I am enjoying looking in detail at how different offences should be sentenced and how to make guidelines as clear and consistent as possible.

“As well as being a magistrate, I am also a non-executive director of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and have worked extensively in the voluntary sector. I would like to provide objective input from this experience to help ensure that those who have learning difficulties, disabilities and mental ill-health are treated fairly whether as victims, witnesses or offenders.”

Members serve a three-year term, during which they work on the development of new sentencing guidelines. These provide guidance on how courts should go about sentencing offenders. They set out an approach to sentencing based primarily on harm caused to the victim and how blameworthy the offender is, along with relevant aggravating and mitigating factors.

In addition to developing guidelines as part of the overall council, she will also be working with a smaller group of council colleagues on promoting public understanding of sentencing.

She added: “Sentencing, and the law which governs it, can be confusing, leaving many people unclear as to why offenders get the sentences they do and how those sentences are served.

“The council wants to improve people’s awareness of the reality of sentencing and dispel some of the common myths and misconceptions, and I am looking forward to helping them achieve this.”