Adult Court Bench Book and Pronouncement Builder

Updated April 2025

The Adult Court Bench Book (ACBB) provides guidance for magistrates who sit in the adult court dealing mainly with defendants aged 18 or over. It is used for reference at court and to support consistent training.

The Bench Book is supplemented by national sentencing guidelines, checklists and pronouncements, available via the Pronouncement Builder. These help magistrates undertake the task of decision making in a fair and structured manner. The Adult Court Pronouncement Builder assists magistrates to explain their decisions fully and clearly.

Please note: The PDF format of the ACPCs was discontinued. From 15 May 2023, pronouncement wording became available only via the Pronouncement Builder (external link) on the Sentencing Council website.