Among other things, the standard penalty for sexually motivated murders would be affected by the change in the law – convicts would then usually never be released again.
The British government wants anyone who commits a particularly serious murder to go to prison more often for the rest of their lives. The conservative government intends to change the law accordingly, as the PA news agency reported during the night. Judges will be required to hand down life sentences for particularly serious killers, with limited exceptions.
The “whole-life order” is the strictest punishment in the British judicial system – unlike in Germany, those convicted are usually never released again.
With the change in the law, this should now become the standard punishment for sexually motivated murders. “People rightly expect that, in the worst cases, there will be a guarantee that life means life,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
Attorney General Alex Chalk said the maximum sentence would apply to murderers if the murder involves sexual or sadistic behavior. “This important change in the law will ensure that the worst of the worst can now expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison.”
A former nurse in Manchester was recently sentenced to a whole-life order for killing seven babies and trying to kill six others. According to the PA, 70 offenders are currently serving such a sentence. In addition, there are life sentences – mandatory in the case of murder, for example – where a court determines the earliest after how many years early release is possible.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
