‘Sobriety’ Tags Now in Force

Offenders who commit alcohol fuelled offences may now be forced to wear ‘sobriety’ tags following the introduction of new legislation as of 19 May 2020. The ankle tags, which are to be rolled out across England and Wales, perform around-the-clock monitoring of an offender’s sweat to determine whether alcohol has been consumed. If they drink – breaching their alcohol abstinence order – they can be returned to court for further sanctions. These might range from a fine, extending the length of the order or in some cases imprisonment. Courts will be able to order offenders to wear a tag for up to 120 days.