From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpass (a) sentence (on somebody)pass (a) sentence (on somebody)SCLSCTto officially decide how a criminal will be punished, and to announce what the punishment will be Judges no longer have the power to pass the death sentence. → pass
Examples from the Corpus
pass (a) sentence (on somebody)• Read in studio Magistrates watched the seven minute video before passing sentence.• Stand while the judge passes sentence.• The judge asked for more psychiatric reports on Borgois before passing sentence.• The judge had 30 days to pass sentence.• The first is the abolition of the powers of courts to pass sentence of corporal punishment.• I will pass sentence tomorrow when I have seen all the papers.• Lord Taylor's main point is to suggest that judges should pass sentence with an eye to the public's expectations. 