Consistency and sentencing

Sentencing for crime involves weighing incommensurable and often contradictory objectives. One such tension is between the principle of consistency and the principle of individualised justice. Consistency is important for the maintenance of public confidence in the administration of justice. The identification of sentencing patterns depends on the transmission of the collective experience of judges. Sentencing statistics have a role to play, albeit a limited one. Maintaining nationwide consistency in sentencing for Commonwealth offences poses particular challenges. Judicial exchanges between courts may make a contribution in this regard.