15 months FFS?

[TheFaQQer]

Now 30 months

[d000hg]

I thought under the laws at the time it was the maximum sentence. We're in favour of retrospective laws now?

[BrilloPad]

I thought under the laws at the time it was the maximum sentence. We're in favour of retrospective laws now?

Got a link for that? No mention of it in any of the press reports I have read.

[d000hg]

I'm sure it was discussed on CUK last time this story was in the news. But that probably means it is made up.

[minestrone]

I thought under the laws at the time it was the maximum sentence. We're in favour of retrospective laws now?

you nasty man

[gingerjedi]

I thought under the laws at the time it was the maximum sentence. We're in favour of retrospective laws now?

That's what they were saying on R4 this morning.

So in theory if someone was convicted of killing a policeman in the 60's they could be hung today?

[mudskipper]

The sentence was reduced because of his age and frailty - presumably that's what they've now revoked.

Edit: quite right too - if he wants to be tried as a frail old man, it should be under today's laws (they reckoned he'd get 10 years).

[NickFitz]

I thought under the laws at the time it was the maximum sentence. We're in favour of retrospective laws now?

They didn't actually change the term of any of the sentences he received. Instead, they ordered that one of the 15 month terms which was originally to be served concurrently must instead be served consecutively. Clever, aren't they?

[OwlHoot]

I thought under the laws at the time it was the maximum sentence. We're in favour of retrospective laws now?

In English common law, a case is based on the law as it stood on the date the indictment was signed, not when the offence was supposedly committed (which isn't always known or provable).

In the past (and I mean centuries past) that principle has occasionally been misused to quickly sneak in retrospective laws to prosecute people for misdeeds which nobody had previously thought to make illegal, or felonious or treasonous etc where they hadn't formerly been.

But sentencing policy isn't tied up with the law in the same sense, but instead applies in the present for various categories of offences regardless of when these were committed.