Community Orders, Requirements and Breach

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“A Community Order is a non-custodial sentence with one or more specific requirements which can be tailored for the purposes of punishment and/or to meet the needs of a defendant to overcome problems and avoid committing offences in the future.”

On this page:

What is a Community Order?
When can a Community Order be imposed?
What requirements can be attached to a Community Order?
Breach of a Community Order Requirement
Committing further offences during a Community Order
Ending a Community Order early
Applying for Revocation of a Community Order or Re-sentence
What is the difference between a Community Order and a Suspended Sentence?

What is a Community Order?

A Community Order is a non-custodial sentence. It allows the court to impose one or more requirements in the community, tailored to the offence, the seriousness of the case, and the offender’s circumstances.

Community orders can be used for punishment, rehabilitation, public protection and reparation. Requirements may include unpaid work, rehabilitation activity, curfew, exclusion, treatment, programme participation, prohibited activity, residence, attendance centre requirements and other requirements available under the Sentencing Code.

From 11 May 2026, the Sentencing Act 2026 makes two important practical changes:

Unpaid work requirements are no longer subject to the previous 12-month fixed maximum period for completion (s.36 Sentencing Act 2026).
A community order may now be terminated early where the offender has complied with the order and the responsible officer is satisfied that the objectives in the sentence plan have been met. (s.38 Sentencing Act 2026).

On this page you can read about when a community order can be imposed, the requirements that can be attached, what happens if the order is breached, when an order may be brought to an end, and the difference between a community order and a suspended sentence order.