40 years old isn't life!

[ColinW]

This does not mean that Mercer will serve 22 years, it means that he will serve AT LEAST 22 years, and may well serve a longer term.

 

As we say round here, "I will show my ar*e in Woollies window if he is still inside in 22 years."

 

Only they won't have one by then!

[Sportsman]

Life Sentence

 

Quote fro Wikipedia

 

A life sentence is a prison term of indeterminate length and in some exceptionally grave cases, a recommendation can be made that a life sentence should mean life. Formerly, the Home Secretary reserved the right to set the "tariff", or minimum length of term, for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, but politicians were stripped of this power in November 2002 after a successful challenge by convicted double murderer Anthony Anderson. Anderson had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988 with a recommended minimum term of 15 years, but the Home Secretary later informed him that he would have to serve at least 20 years.

Since then, judges have been obliged to recommend a minimum term and only the Court of Appeal or the House of Lords Judicial Committee can make any amendments to the sentence. Though politicians can no longer decide how long a life sentence prisoner spends behind bars, the Attorney General still has the power to petition the Court of Appeal in a bid to increase any prison terms which are seen as unduly lenient.

The Criminal Justice Act of 2003 set out guidelines for how long murderers should spend in prison before being considered for parole. This legislation highlighted the recommendation that multiple murderers (the murder of two or more people) whose crimes involved sexual abuse, pre-planning, abduction or terrorism should never be released from prison, which is known as a whole life tariff, while other multiple murders (two or more) should carry a recommended minimum of 30 years. A 30-year minimum should also apply to the worst single murders, including those with sexual or racial motives, the use of a firearm as well as the murder of police officers. Most other murders should be subject to a 15-year minimum. Inevitably, there have been numerous departures from these guidelines since they were first put into practice. For example, the judge who sentenced police killer David Bieber recommended that he should never be released from prison, whereas government guidelines recommended a 30-year minimum for such crimes. On 23 July 2008, Bieber was told by the High Court that he would not have to serve a full life sentence, as originally recommended by the trial judge, but would still have to serve a minimum of 37 years before being considered for parole, meaning that he is set to remain in prison until at least 2041 and the age of 75. And in the case of Mark Goldstraw, who killed four people in an arson attack on a house in Staffordshire, the trial judge set a recommended minimum of 35 years—as the crime included planning and resulted in the deaths of four people, it might have been expected to come under a category of killings which merited a whole life tariff.

 

Tarrif

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Under the criminal law of England and Wales, a tariff is the minimum period that a person serving an indefinite prison sentence must serve before that person becomes eligible for parole. The Home Secretary (or one of his/her delegates) bears responsibility for tariffs, and often considers the recommendation of the sentencing judge, and from the Lord Chief Justice. However, the Home Secretary is not bound by recommendations from the judiciary.

The purpose of this mechanism has been described as follows:

The tariff is the minimum period a life sentence prisoner must serve to meet the requirements of retribution and deterrence before being considered for release. After this minimum period has been served release will only take place where the prisoner is judged no longer a risk of harm to the public.

[corydoras]

Whilst I think that the sentence passed to this scumbag is the very least he deserved. Why did he get a minimum 32 year tarriff and DIDN'T kill anyone, yet Mercer received a substantially less term?

Different jurisdiction? He broke the law in Scotland, where the system is different? He is a terrorist?

[chesters1]

Life Sentence

 

Quote fro Wikipedia

 

A life sentence is a prison term of indeterminate length and in some exceptionally grave cases, a recommendation can be made that a life sentence should mean life. Formerly, the Home Secretary reserved the right to set the "tariff", or minimum length of term, for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, but politicians were stripped of this power in November 2002 after a successful challenge by convicted double murderer Anthony Anderson. Anderson had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988 with a recommended minimum term of 15 years, but the Home Secretary later informed him that he would have to serve at least 20 years.

Since then, judges have been obliged to recommend a minimum term and only the Court of Appeal or the House of Lords Judicial Committee can make any amendments to the sentence. Though politicians can no longer decide how long a life sentence prisoner spends behind bars, the Attorney General still has the power to petition the Court of Appeal in a bid to increase any prison terms which are seen as unduly lenient.

The Criminal Justice Act of 2003 set out guidelines for how long murderers should spend in prison before being considered for parole. This legislation highlighted the recommendation that multiple murderers (the murder of two or more people) whose crimes involved sexual abuse, pre-planning, abduction or terrorism should never be released from prison, which is known as a whole life tariff, while other multiple murders (two or more) should carry a recommended minimum of 30 years. A 30-year minimum should also apply to the worst single murders, including those with sexual or racial motives, the use of a firearm as well as the murder of police officers. Most other murders should be subject to a 15-year minimum. Inevitably, there have been numerous departures from these guidelines since they were first put into practice. For example, the judge who sentenced police killer David Bieber recommended that he should never be released from prison, whereas government guidelines recommended a 30-year minimum for such crimes. On 23 July 2008, Bieber was told by the High Court that he would not have to serve a full life sentence, as originally recommended by the trial judge, but would still have to serve a minimum of 37 years before being considered for parole, meaning that he is set to remain in prison until at least 2041 and the age of 75. And in the case of Mark Goldstraw, who killed four people in an arson attack on a house in Staffordshire, the trial judge set a recommended minimum of 35 years—as the crime included planning and resulted in the deaths of four people, it might have been expected to come under a category of killings which merited a whole life tariff.

 

Tarrif

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Under the criminal law of England and Wales, a tariff is the minimum period that a person serving an indefinite prison sentence must serve before that person becomes eligible for parole. The Home Secretary (or one of his/her delegates) bears responsibility for tariffs, and often considers the recommendation of the sentencing judge, and from the Lord Chief Justice. However, the Home Secretary is not bound by recommendations from the judiciary.

The purpose of this mechanism has been described as follows:

The tariff is the minimum period a life sentence prisoner must serve to meet the requirements of retribution and deterrence before being considered for release. After this minimum period has been served release will only take place where the prisoner is judged no longer a risk of harm to the public.

i'm not sure an indeterminate sentence is actually legal ???

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/law_...ion/6333001.stm

the parole system is a farce only guilty people benefit from it.

Edited December 18, 2008 by chesters1

[RobStubbs]

Capital punishment has never been shown to be a deterrent to others either.

 

I'd vote that we give it try myself, it certainly reduces repeat offences.

 

Rob.

Edited December 18, 2008 by RobStubbs

[Sportsman]

I'd vote that we give it try myself, it certainly reduces repeat offences.

 

Rob.

 

 

Rather harsh on the not inconsiderable number who never offended in the first place but were found guilty anyway.

 

Still, I suppose we can always apologise to the next of kin

[ColinW]

Rather harsh on the not inconsiderable number who never offended in the first place but were found guilty anyway.

 

Still, I suppose we can always apologise to the next of kin

 

The majority of cases where it is shown that there has been a miscarriage of justice have been political. Usually when the police were under government pressure to fit someone up for an act of then IRA and now islamic terrorism and the normal process of law has been bypassed.

In 99% of "normal" murders the guilt of the accused is clear. There are very few cases where someone is convicted of a non-politically motivated murder and then found later to be innocent. So few that those that happened as far back as the 1970's like Stefan Kiszko are still remembered. There certainly are not a "not inconsiderable number".

[DavyR]

Colin Stagg certainly wouldn't be around now, would he?

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/18/robert-napper-clues

[snakey1]

Neither would Barry George, Tony Martin, Mark Dallagher & Barri White to name just a few more.

[DavyR]

And neither would Barry George:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7536815.stm

 

Whoops - cross-posted!

Edited December 18, 2008 by DavyR