The prosecutor concludes by holding a so-called closing speech. This is a summary of the prosecutor’s opinion of the evidence situation and includes a demand for sanction, or in other words the prosecutor’s proposal as to what sentence the suspect should be given. It is then the task of the court to impose this sentence.
The various laws contain ranges of punishment for different offences. The sanctions are determined within the framework of these punishment ranges. In the case of assault and battery, for example, the range is imprisonment for 1-10 years. The criteria that determine where the culprit is placed on the scale are various factors and circumstances, for example the level of injury sustained by the victim(s) or the way in which the attack was carried out. The prosecutor decides how high the level of punishment should be.
After the closing speech, the defence counsel is given the chance to make a final statement. Then the proceedings are concluded and where necessary the court passes sentence. Sometimes this takes only a short time, for example if the defendant is remanded in custody or where juveniles are involved in the case. In such cases, sentence can be passed immediately after the court proceedings.
If it is not possible to decide on the sentence immediately after the proceedings, notice will be given by post, normally within 1-2 weeks.