Attorney General Alex Chock believes this shift will give judges more confidence to use lifetime orders without fear of them being overturned Appeals Photo: Jeff Pugh/Telegraph
New laws will make life sentences mandatory for the most heinous types of murder, Rishi Sunak said.
Alex Chalk, Attorney General, introduces reforms that would require judges to impose life sentences on killers like Lucy Letby and Colin Pitchfork in all but “exceptional circumstances”, which means they will never be eligible for parole.
Judges are now required to consider such orders as a “starting point” when sentencing the most dangerous killers.
Mr Chalk said the change would make life imprisonment in such cases “an expectation.” The Attorney General believes this shift will give judges more confidence that they will be able to enforce life orders without fear they will be overturned on appeal.
He suggested the change was driven by cases such as the murder of Zara Alina, a 35-year-old aspiring lawyer whose 29-year-old killer was jailed for at least 38 years, and the release of Colin Pitchfork in 2021. who was jailed for life in 1988 after raping and strangling two 15-year-olds.
Letby was sentenced to life in prison last week after being found guilty of killing seven babies and attempting to kill six more.
Zara Alina was a 35-year-old aspiring lawyer whose 29-year-old killer was jailed for at least 38 years. Photo: Enterprise News and Pictures
Mr Sunak said: “I share the public's horror at the brutality of the crimes we have seen of late. People rightly expect that in the most serious cases there should be a guarantee that life will mean life. They expect honesty in sentencing.
“By imposing mandatory life sentences on the heinous criminals who have committed the most heinous murders, we will ensure that they never go free.”
Speaking before the government kicks off the week of crime announcements, Mr. Chalk specifically stated that he wanted Letby to be “one of the last” killers who refused to attend the sentencing.
Law to force offenders to appear in court The verdict is expected to be included in the King's November 7 speech amid anger over Letby's refusal to return to court last week. Mr Chok said: “The general principles are that if a judge believes it is in the interests of justice to have the accused present in court, we want to make sure the tools are available to do so.”
Separately, the Attorney General suggested that in an investigation into the wrongful conviction and imprisonment of Andrew Malkinson for a rape he did not commit, it should be examined whether the Crown Prosecution Service violated the “fundamental principle” that prosecutors must turn over any evidence, who could undermine their position.
Lucy Letby received a life sentence last week after being found guilty of killing seven babies and trying to kill six more. Photo: Enterprise News and Pictures
He said: “As someone who has been a lawyer, the first thing you were told was that your obligation to disclose information is sacred.
“You have a duty to ensure that material is disclosed that can reasonably be considered capable of undermining the position of the prosecution or actually helping the case accused. This is indeed a cardinal principle underlying a fair trial. Without a doubt, one of the questions that an independent legal expert will want to bring to the attention is whether this duty was carried out correctly.
Currently, life orders are the “starting point” for sentencing in cases such as the premeditated murder of children, largely intentional or planned. Such orders will now become a “legitimate expectation” in such cases, except in extremely limited circumstances, the government said.
“Sexual or sadistic behavior”
Mr Chok also said the government is changing the law so that life sentences can apply in any case where the murder involves “sexual or sadistic behavior” and not just in cases where two victims are involved, as is currently the case. time.
“This means that in cases like Zara Alina, the atrocity of Jordan McSweeney, this man can expect to spend his entire life behind bars,” he said.
He added: “The rationale as it is: where crime is particularly heinous, the British people expect life to mean life.
“When I, as Lord Chancellor, had to deal with the consequences of cases such as Colin Pitchfork, I think the main answer of the British people is: how is it even possible that this person will get parole? In this case, he was released on parole and then placed back in custody.
“But the first preliminary question is: why was this considered at all? And so we want to ensure that in these particularly heinous cases, the expectations of the British people are reflected in the law.”
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