Life Imprisonment without parole

[Marg0]

Does this mean you are defo in forever? Or could a future government come along (I'm thinking of USA) and say 'no this is cruel, unusual, and unreasonable), and overrule the sentence?

[R1Geezer]

Yes a governement can make the rules as long as it follows legal procedure. Unlikely though interfering with the Judiciary is usually a vote loser!

[jake-the-peg]

There is also a similar sentence in the UK known as a life tariff.

there are currently about such prisoners in the UK

Listed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_life_tariff

4 IRA men received such sentences and were released as part of the Good Friday Agreement.

And Reggie Kray was released 5 weeks before he died