UK to make whole-life sentences mandatory for worst killers

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

LONDON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The British government said on Saturday that judges will be required to impose mandatory "whole life orders" on killers who commit the most horrific types of murder, meaning they will die in prison, under planned legislation.

It said the change would protect the public from the most dangerous offenders by placing a legal expectation on judges to hand down the orders except in extremely limited circumstances.

Putting the sentencing guideline on a legal footing would also give judges greater confidence to hand down the orders without a risk of challenge in the Courts of Appeal. For the first time, the orders will also be the default sentence for any sexually motivated murders, it said.

Whole-life orders are rare, with 65 prisoners subject to one as of June 30, according to the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, which issues guidelines on punishments. Nurse Lucy Letby, Britain's most prolific serial child killer of modern times who murdered seven babies in a hospital, was handed one on Monday.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-make-whole-life-sentences-mandatory-worst-killers-2023-08-26/

[cstanleytech]

1. This is how all such cases should be handled here in the US as well imo.

[3Hotdogs]

2. There was a D.U. post a couple of weeks ago. About U.S. lifers who are in dementia. They have no

idea where they are or why they are there.

[nycbos]

3. I oppose the death penalty due to the potential risk of innocent person being executed.

However, there are crimes that are so heinous, like the murder of seven babies that they never deserve to see the light of day again, and the only option is for them to die in prison.