Remedy
Start free

Section 286: Suspended sentence order

Sentencing Act 2020 · 2020 c. 17View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 10: Custodial sentences — CHAPTER 5: Suspended sentences

A suspended sentence order is an order providing that a sentence of imprisonment or detention in a young offender institution in respect of an offence is not to take effect unless—

an activation event occurs, and
a court having power to do so subsequently orders under paragraph 13 of Schedule 16 that the sentence is to take effect.

A suspended sentence order may also specify one or more available community requirements with which the offender must comply during the supervision period.

An activation event occurs if the offender—

commits another offence in the United Kingdom during the operational period (whether or not punishable with imprisonment), or
during the supervision period, contravenes any community requirement imposed by the order.

The community requirements are listed in column 1 of the community requirements table (see section 287).

Provision about each requirement is made by the provisions of Schedule 9 mentioned in the corresponding entry in column 2 of that table.

In this Code—

  • “suspended sentence order” has the meaning given by subsection (1);

  • “suspended sentence” means a sentence to which a suspended sentence order relates.

In this Code, references to a community requirement of, or imposed by, a suspended sentence order are to a requirement specified in the order under subsection (2).

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.