Deferred sentence

A judge can postpone a sentence for a number of reasons, such as for a background report to be prepared.

In some cases, a sentence can be deferred for longer for offenders to be of good behaviour. The sentence is usually postponed for between 3 to 12 months. Other conditions can sometimes be added, such as attending counselling or repaying money. The sentence will depend on how the offender has behaved. If the offender has stayed out of trouble, then the sentence will normally be lower than if they get into trouble.