Sentencing is a difficult process because of the many factors that judicial officers are required to take into account to determine the appropriate sentence. Consistency in sentencing aims for uniformity of approach, so that like cases are treated in a like manner through the consistent application of settled principles. Our research and sentencing program is designed to facilitate informed decision making in the tasks of conducting a trial and sentencing an offender, without interfering with judicial independence. Our research program promotes a consistent approach to sentencing in New South Wales by providing:

• guidance on the sentences that other judicial officers have given in particular circumstances through the sentencing statistics included on the online Judicial Information Research System (JIRS)
• information on sentencing principles and practice in the Sentencing Bench Book and JIRS
• information on sentencing trends and patterns through sentencing publications, bench books and JIRS.