Skip to content

Slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour / Human trafficking

s.1, s.2 Modern Slavery Act 2015 · Triable either way

Back to Offence Library

Sentencing framework

The guideline establishes a framework for sentencing in cases of slavery and human trafficking by evaluating the offender's culpability and the harm caused to the victim. Offenders are categorized based on their role in the offense and the degree of harm inflicted, which influences the starting point and range of the sentence.

Maximum sentence

Life imprisonment

Court

Triable either way

Offence range

High level community order – 18 years’ custody

Aggravating factors

  • ·Previous convictions
  • ·Offence committed whilst on bail
  • ·Offence motivated by hostility based on characteristics of the victim
  • ·Offending took place over a long period of time
  • ·Targeting particularly vulnerable victims
  • ·Removal of victim’s identity documents
  • ·Gratuitous degradation of victim
  • ·Large-scale, sophisticated and/or commercial operation
  • ·Abuse of trust/responsibility
  • ·Substantial measures taken to restrain the victim
  • ·Victim forced to commit criminal offences

Mitigating factors

  • ·No recent or relevant convictions
  • ·Offender has been a victim of slavery/trafficking
  • ·Positive character and/or exemplary conduct
  • ·Remorse
  • ·Sole or primary carer for dependent relatives
  • ·Age and/or lack of maturity
  • ·Mental disorder or learning disability
  • ·Physical disability or serious medical condition
  • ·Offender cooperated with investigation
  • ·Pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal care
  • ·Difficult and/or deprived background or personal circumstances
  • ·Prospects of or in work, training or education

Sentencing range explorer

Select the culpability level and harm category to see the guideline's starting point and category range. This is an educational illustration of the published guideline — not a sentence calculation, and not legal advice. Courts apply the full step-by-step process, aggravating and mitigating factors, and the totality principle.

Culpability

Harm

Select a culpability level and a harm category above.

The sentencing process, step by step

  1. Step 1 — Determining the offence category
  2. Step 2 — Starting point and category range
  3. Step 3 — Consider any factors which indicate a reduction for assistance to the prosecution
  4. Step 4 — Reduction for guilty pleas
  5. Step 5 — Dangerousness
  6. Step 6 — Totality principle
  7. Step 7 — Ancillary orders
  8. Step 8 — Reasons
  9. Step 9 — Consideration for time spent on bail

Guideline notes

  • This guideline applies only to offenders aged 18 and older. The maximum sentence that applies to an offence is the maximum that applied at the date of the offence.

Always read the full guideline

This is a one-page summary. For any live case, sentencing exercise, or legal advice the authoritative source is the Sentencing Council's own definitive guideline — including the category bands, step-by-step sentencing approach, and all statutory factors not captured here.

Open the full guideline on sentencingcouncil.org.uk

Source: Sentencing Council · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-28. Not legal advice — see a regulated adviser for any live case.