https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/tags/courts/Recent content in courts on Birmingham DailyHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usFri, 10 Apr 2026 06:01:48 +0000https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/quiet-law-change-on-march-22-transforms-sentencing-for-uk-drivers/Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:01:48 +0000https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/quiet-law-change-on-march-22-transforms-sentencing-for-uk-drivers/A crucial change took effect on 22 March 2026 following the Sentencing Act 2026’s Royal Assent on 22 January, altering how courts can sentence drivers convicted of causing death or serious injury. The Act extends judicial authority to suspend custodial sentences of up to three years, offering courts greater flexibility to tailor punishments to the circumstances of each case. Traditionally, offences such as causing death by dangerous driving—which can carry maximum sentences of life imprisonment and typically see custodial terms ranging from two to eighteen years—have often resulted in immediate imprisonment.