About Judicial Monitoring

Judicial Monitoring (JM) has been introduced as part of changes to the Sentencing Act amended in 2007.

JM is intended to enhance and maintain judicial confidence in the new sentences of intensive supervision and HD. It is particularly aimed at borderline cases, that is, cases where the decision to impose either a community-based option or a sentence of imprisonment is finely balanced.

Legislative references: Sections 80ZJ to 80ZM Sentencing Act 2002.

Special condition

If a judge considers that an offender may benefit from JM, they will impose this as a special condition.

JM is only available to sentences of HD and intensive supervision.

It is CPPS policy not to recommend JM as special condition in a pre-sentence report.

If imposed as a special condition, the condition will include the:

• date the report is due, and
• location of the court where it should be sent.

JM process

After receiving a JM report from CPPS, the judge may:

• require the probation officer and the offender to attend a hearing
• require another JM report at any interval of no less than three months from the request, or
• do nothing.