PRESS RELEASE : Announcement of the reappointment of a non-judicial member, Diana Fawcett, of the Sentencing Council

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 31 August 2022.

The Lord Chancellor has announced the reappointment of Diana Fawcett as a non-judicial member of the Sentencing Council for a second tenure of 18 months.

The Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, has announced the reappointment of Diana Fawcett as a non-judicial member of the Sentencing Council with specific responsibility for promoting the welfare of victims of crime, for a second tenure of 18 months The re-appointment commenced on 5 April 2022 and will run until 4 October 2023.

The SC was established by Section 118(1) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (“the Act”) to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing whilst maintaining the independence of the judiciary. The SC’s responsibilities include: developing sentencing guidelines and monitoring their use; assessing the impact of guidelines on sentencing practice; promoting the understanding of and increasing public confidence in sentencing and the criminal justice system.

Appointments and re-appointments are made by the Lord Chancellor, in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This reappointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Diana Fawcett

Diana was first appointed to the Sentencing Council on 5 April 2019 for a period of three years. Diana was appointed as Director of Operations of the charity Victim Support in February 2015 becoming Chief Executive in January 2018.

Prior to Victim Support, Diana was Director of Operations at Shelter for seven years where she was responsible for the charity’s advice and support services. She has also worked for four London boroughs and three housing associations, managing a range of housing, development and care services. She has been a trustee of Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network a charity providing advice and support to refugees since 2014 and was chair between 2015-21.