Serious Crime

What is meant by Mandatory life imprisonment?

If a person aged 21 or over is convicted of murder they must be sentenced to imprisonment for life. The minimum term is then set outlining how many years must pass until the parole board can consider release. When fixing this term, the court use set guidelines and consider the seriousness of the offence as opposed to the dangerousness of the offender.

What is Imprisonment for Public Protection?

If an offence which is specified has been committed, the court may consider a defendant to be 'dangerous’. There does not need to be a longstanding pattern of offending for these provisions to kick in. Once a defendant has been deemed dangerous the court can impose a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP). An IPP is an indeterminate sentence. To impose an IPP the following conditions apply;

• 18 or over
• Convicted of an offence carrying life imprisonment or 10 years or over
• The offence would ordinarily warrant a determinate sentence of at least four years
• The court deems that the offender presents a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm occasioned by the commission of further specified offences.

<< FAQs