Life can now mean Life

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....uman-court-rules.html

At last The European Court of Human Rights have come up with the correct decision.

But it still makes me wonder why we have to wait for them to give us permission?

/// A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'The Government strongly welcomes this decision. ///

/// 'We argued vigorously that there are certain prisoners whose crimes are so appalling that they should never become eligible for parole. ///

/// 'We are pleased that the European court has upheld the whole life tariff as a legitimate sentence in British courts.” ///

Why do we continue to put up with this crazy two tier legal system?

[albaqwerty]

I was under the mis-apprehension that when the Death Penalty was revoked in this country, that if someone was found guilty of murder, for example, then they would spend the rest of their natural in jail. I can't recall why that didn't happen.

Some 'people's' crimes are so heinouss that they should never ever ever be let out.

[hc4361]

We have long had 'whole of life' tariffs.
This report is about the appeal a whole of lifer made to the ECHR on the grounds that is is inhumane to never give the chance of parole.

The ECHR has simply backed up our laws.

[Brenden]

That was the understanding alba when the death penalty was abolished, it has gradually been watered down to the nonsensical state we are now in - life should mean life with no parole.

[hc4361]

Brenden, don't you think that gives unfair sentences?
Somebody sentenced at 73 is far likely to serve a much shorter sentence than someone sentenced at 23.

Many lifers do make a successful go of their life after parole and prisons would be hellish to control if prisoners have nothing to lose by behaving very badly.

Murder is murder, but even murder has a scale of 'badness'. There is a huge difference between a person who kills his or her lover in a jealous rage, or Mary Bell, and somebody like Peter Sutcliffe or Fred West.

Some murderers are genuinely remorseful and regret their actions, others are killers who do it for 'fun' and will never be safe to be let out, although Mary Bell has managed to live a normal life since her release.

Nothing is black and white.

[albaqwerty]

If they were sentenced to life and evidence emerged that they could not possibly have committed the crime for which they were sentenced, it's is easier to release a person who breathes.

If a 73 year old committed aa crime and was sentenced to life and a 23 year old committed a very similar crime and both were heinous (that seem to be my sord of the day) then neither should get out.

[venator]

It would have been kinder to execute Sutcliffe, West, Brady and Hindley where there was no possibility of a mistrial, but life meaning life is probably a better deterrent sentence.

While I'm bringing down the wrath of many AB'ers, i not that the European Court has overruled the extradition of Al-Quaidr's man, forcing the British taxpayer to spend another few million keeping him warm and well fed, and letting his lawyers grow ever fatter.
http://news.sky.com/h...news/article/16150470

[hc4361]

Hanging is too good for those people, so is lethal injection for that matter.

Living with themselves must be much harder than being dead.

[Gromit]

Crazy two tier legal system?

How is it two tier? We have been able to keep prisoners in jail indefinitely. When we signed the Human Rights Act in 1998 it made some of our existing law unclear. This ruling confirms it is business as usual, and that our existing laws are fine.

[starone]

While I do not advocate all American ways, they seem to have a scale of murders which might work - I do not understand what they mean but I have noticed they have 'Murder One', 'Murder Two' etc. Don't know if they have Murder Three but degrees could surely be looked into and sentences given according to how bad the crime, or crimes.

[albaqwerty]

Ven, we don't argue. Kinder to whom tho? Them or society? I don't hold with state sanctioned murder.

Abu Qatadar should be sent to another country. His defendants say not Jordan as he will be tortured. (Poor dear) He is in Long Langton (?) prison for about 3 months whilst the government appeal the EU's decision.

[rov1100]

The problem is Jeremy Bamber who has just been given a whole life sentence agreed by the European courts may be actually innocent of the crimes. He was convicted on the say so of an ex girlfriend. He has always protested his innocence for what thats worth. There must be better ways of getting at the truth.

[hc4361]

Torture?