Character references
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Any advice on what to include, not include etc in the character reference that I'll be doing for my OH ready for court / sentencing would be much appreciated ????
A well written character reference can make a lot of difference as I found out today - the magistrate commented that he took those into account when sentencing my OH.
I started mine by saying who I was, age and occupation, and my relationship to the offender / how long I have know him
I then went on to address how he found himself in this position - work and health related anxiety and depression, and the reasons for this (illness and toxic work environment).
the next paragraph described the hard work he has put in since arrest to address his issues, as well as the work I too have put in to helping him (by doing the inform course and supporting him)
Finally I said that although I did not condone what he has done and found it abhorrent, the man who committed the crimes was not the man sitting before them today and his actions were completely out of character.
4 short, to the point paragraphs which helped reduce his sentence from possible custodial to community service and unpaid work.
i wish you all the very best and feel free to private message me xx
I started mine by saying who I was, age and occupation, and my relationship to the offender / how long I have know him
I then went on to address how he found himself in this position - work and health related anxiety and depression, and the reasons for this (illness and toxic work environment).
the next paragraph described the hard work he has put in since arrest to address his issues, as well as the work I too have put in to helping him (by doing the inform course and supporting him)
Finally I said that although I did not condone what he has done and found it abhorrent, the man who committed the crimes was not the man sitting before them today and his actions were completely out of character.
4 short, to the point paragraphs which helped reduce his sentence from possible custodial to community service and unpaid work.
i wish you all the very best and feel free to private message me xx
Just spent hours doing mine (only to have sentencing adjourned for 6 weeks!) but below I will copy what ChatGPT told me when I asked for advice about them originally.....
1. Your Identity and Relationship to the Defendant
Include:
Your full name
Address (or at least town/city)
Occupation and how long you’ve held it
How you know the defendant and for how long
This gives the court context about who you are and why your opinion carries weight
2. Acknowledgement of the Offence
It’s very important to show the court that you:
Know the defendant is being sentenced for a serious offence
You understand the seriousness of the offence
Do not dispute facts, minimise harm, or imply the offence is trivial.
Example phrasing often recommended:
“I am aware that [Name] has pleaded guilty to (name offences) and I understand the seriousness of this.”
3. Comments on the Person’s Character (Outside of the Offence)
Focus on lawful, appropriate qualities such as:
Reliability
Work ethic
Kindness or community involvement
General behaviour you have personally observed
Stick to things you can truthfully state from firsthand knowledge.
4. Impact of the Offence on the Person (Without Seeking Sympathy for the Crime)
This might include:
Their remorse (only if you have personally observed it)
Their steps to address behaviour (e.g., therapy, counselling, rehabilitation programmes)
Their insight into their actions
Avoid emotional pleas or suggestions the offence “isn’t like them” in a way that contradicts the seriousness.
5. Contribution and Support in the Community
Where relevant:
Employment stability
Voluntary work
Family responsibilities
Only include what you truly know.
6. Your Willingness to Continue Supporting Them
Courts generally like to know whether the person has a stable support network.
This can be as simple as:
“I will continue to support [Name] as they work to address their behaviour and continue rehabilitation.”
7. Formal Closing
Reaffirm that the statement is honest.
Offer to be contacted if the court requires clarification.
Sign and date the letter.
What NOT to include
To keep the letter appropriate and compliant:
Do not dispute guilt or blame others
Do not comment on the victim(s) (I did say that we knew this wasn't a victimless offence)
Do not describe the offence or try to explain it away
Do not suggest the offence is “out of character” if you cannot justify this
Do not make recommendations about sentencing (“I think they deserve…”)
Hope this helps! The references get included in the court bundle so it will depend on how conscientious the judge is about preparing beforehand. Also our son's solicitor sent all the refs back to the contributor to sign online so maybe don't leave things too late!
1. Your Identity and Relationship to the Defendant
Include:
Your full name
Address (or at least town/city)
Occupation and how long you’ve held it
How you know the defendant and for how long
This gives the court context about who you are and why your opinion carries weight
2. Acknowledgement of the Offence
It’s very important to show the court that you:
Know the defendant is being sentenced for a serious offence
You understand the seriousness of the offence
Do not dispute facts, minimise harm, or imply the offence is trivial.
Example phrasing often recommended:
“I am aware that [Name] has pleaded guilty to (name offences) and I understand the seriousness of this.”
3. Comments on the Person’s Character (Outside of the Offence)
Focus on lawful, appropriate qualities such as:
Reliability
Work ethic
Kindness or community involvement
General behaviour you have personally observed
Stick to things you can truthfully state from firsthand knowledge.
4. Impact of the Offence on the Person (Without Seeking Sympathy for the Crime)
This might include:
Their remorse (only if you have personally observed it)
Their steps to address behaviour (e.g., therapy, counselling, rehabilitation programmes)
Their insight into their actions
Avoid emotional pleas or suggestions the offence “isn’t like them” in a way that contradicts the seriousness.
5. Contribution and Support in the Community
Where relevant:
Employment stability
Voluntary work
Family responsibilities
Only include what you truly know.
6. Your Willingness to Continue Supporting Them
Courts generally like to know whether the person has a stable support network.
This can be as simple as:
“I will continue to support [Name] as they work to address their behaviour and continue rehabilitation.”
7. Formal Closing
Reaffirm that the statement is honest.
Offer to be contacted if the court requires clarification.
Sign and date the letter.
What NOT to include
To keep the letter appropriate and compliant:
Do not dispute guilt or blame others
Do not comment on the victim(s) (I did say that we knew this wasn't a victimless offence)
Do not describe the offence or try to explain it away
Do not suggest the offence is “out of character” if you cannot justify this
Do not make recommendations about sentencing (“I think they deserve…”)
Hope this helps! The references get included in the court bundle so it will depend on how conscientious the judge is about preparing beforehand. Also our son's solicitor sent all the refs back to the contributor to sign online so maybe don't leave things too late!
In our case the magistrates hadn't read the references beforehand but the solicitor handed them copies which 2 of them read while the prosecutor was listing the (very lengthy) SHPO requirements (which we challenged). They were instrumental in reducing his sentence from suspended to community order as they showed that he had immense support at home.
It's worth making sure there are paper copies of anything like this in court as lostinthewodds has demonstrated, also in case the internet goes down although you would hope there is provision for this happening. It would be such a shame if there were positive references and they were unobtainable for some reason.