Appendix D
Home Secretary's Statement
The following statement was issued by the Home
Office on 20 September 2004:
These are draft guidelines produced by the Sentencing
Guidelines Council and subject to consultation with the Home Affairs
Select Committee. I will await the Select Committee's view before
taking a final opinion.
The Sentencing Guidelines Council has reiterated
today that for the most heinous murders, life should mean life
as set out in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Parliament was also
very clear when it passed the Act that those convicted of murder
should receive minimum sentences ranging from 15 years to whole
life, depending on their circumstances. This deliberately toughened
up earlier legislation, passed by previous governments.
The only exceptions to the minimum tariffs in the
Act should be very specific aggravating or mitigating circumstances
such as a mercy killing or where self defence is a factor. The
Act also provides for a guilty plea to be a mitigating factor
but we believe the unique nature of the offence of murder means
that this should not mean an automatic reduction in all cases
but should reflect genuinely exceptional circumstances. This was
clear from the debates in Parliament when the Act was passed.
These guidelines have been published in draft for
consultation and we will now need to look not only at the specific
proposals but also at the interaction between the guidelines and
the principles set out in Act. I am sure that the Home Affairs
Select Committee whose responsibility it is to review today's
draft guidelines in the first instance will want to consider this
very carefully.
Rt Hon David Blunkett MP
Home Secretary
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