This will mean people who have committed a crime but are yet to be sentenced will face the possibility of being given a whole life order - even if the offence is committed before future legislation commences.
Whole life orders are sentences which give the offender no prospect for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds for their release.
It follows an announcement in August that legislation would be introduced to expand the specific circumstances in statute where a whole life order would be expected. Under these reforms a single murder committed with sexual or sadistic conduct could receive a whole life order while current laws require two or more murders of this nature.
These changes will also set out an expectation that judges will give a whole life order where it is a possibility unless there are exceptional circumstances not to.
The government will legislate as soon as parliamentary time allows to introduce these reforms.
