[Nedusa]

Criminals who kill police officers in England and Wales will face compulsory whole life sentences, Home Secretary Theresa May is to propose.She will unveil plans for a change in legislation at the Police Federation conference in Bournemouth.

The current minimum sentence for a police murder is 30 years.

The Police Federation said: "We support any move that means a true life sentence will be applied to anyone who murders a police officer."

Mrs May will announce that the government is to propose that the minimum term should be increased to life without parole.

"I am clear that life should mean life for anyone convicted of killing a police officer”
said Home Secretary Theresa May
The home secretary will tell rank-and-file officers: "To attack and kill a police officer is to attack the fundamental basis of our society.

"We ask police officers to keep us safe by confronting and stopping violent criminals for us. We ask them to take risks so that we don't have to.

"That is why I am clear that life should mean life for anyone convicted of killing a police officer."

According to the Home Office, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 permits Justice Secretary Chris Grayling - following consultation with the Sentencing Council - to make an order to change starting points.

This would permit him to change the starting point in this instance from 30 years to a whole life order, meaning offenders could not be released other than at the discretion of the secretary of state on compassionate grounds - for example, if they are terminally ill or seriously incapacitated.

'Severe penalty'

The Sentencing Council, the official body that oversees sentencing in England and Wales, issues guidelines for judges and magistrates to work to for all offences other than murder.

A spokesman said: "Introducing whole life tariffs for those who murder police officers would involve changes to the law, which is a matter for Parliament, rather than the Sentencing Council.

"Government does not have a duty to consult the council, but may choose to."


"The killing of a police officer is a particularly heinous crime that should be punished with the severest possible sentences” said Shadow policing minister David Hanson
Police Federation chairman Steve Williams said: "The public need to have confidence that the criminal sentence they read about in the paper is the sentence the offender completes.

"There is no hierarchy when it comes to victims of murder, however police officers risk their lives on a daily basis confronting danger on behalf of others.

"Would-be offenders must know that they will receive the most severe penalty possible."

Shadow policing minister David Hanson, meanwhile, said: "The killing of a police officer is a particularly heinous crime that should be punished with the severest possible sentences."

"We will support any efforts to achieve that aim," he added.

Mrs May, who will face a question and answer session after her speech, was heckled at last year's conference after she told officers to "stop pretending" they were being singled out and would "have to make their share" of public spending cuts.

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor, who is behind hotly debated changes such as fast-track recruitment and lower annual pay for new constables, will also address officers.

On Tuesday, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the three-day conference that government plans to withdraw from the European Arrest Warrant agreement would make it harder to catch criminals who went on the run abroad.



With respect to the above proposal whilst I agree that Police Killers should face life for a life I have to ask the question: Are we now seeing the end of the liberal ideal of Prison as a tool or Vehicle for punishment & rehabilition.

Are we now saying the Rehabilitation process does not work for certain crimes or that for certain crimes we are not interested in rehabilitation just punishment ??

If thats the case then perhaps all criminals that are jailed are now jailed as a punishment if thats the case then perhaps longer sentencing is required for all crimes.

And why only give this distinction for Police killers, what about Child killers and rapists or killers of other public servants

I do not think the Home Secretary has thought this through in any detail.