SOC 2760 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Mandatory Sentencing, Homicide, Public Knowledge
16 Aug 2016
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Sentencing for murder: exploring public knowledge and public opinion in england and wales. It has long been claimed that replacing the mandatory sentence with anything less than automatic life imprisonment would undermine public confidence in sentencing. Surprisingly, this claim has never been put to the empirical test. Any amendments to, or repeal of, the mandatory life provisions would obviously require the approval of parliament. The public see considerable merit in allowing judges the discretion at sentencing that is denied them under a mandatory sentencing law. The mandatory life sentence consists of two distinct stages. The first is the minimum term" (formerly referred to as the tariff"), which is a period of imprisonment intended to reflect the relative seriousness of the murder. In the vast majority of cases, this term must be served in full, although it is possible for a prisoner to be released (on licence) before the expiry of the minimum term in very exceptional circumstances.
