Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the average tariff length imposed for murder was in each year since 2000.
The average length of the minimum term (sometimes known as a ‘tariff’) for life sentences for murder convictions since 2000 is as follows:
Year of Sentence | Average minimum term (years) |
2000 | 13 |
2001 | 13 |
2002 | 13 |
2003 | 13 |
2004 | 14 |
2005 | 15 |
2006 | 17 |
2007 | 15 |
2008 | 17 |
2009 | 17 |
2010 | 19 |
2011 | 18 |
2012 | 20 |
2013 | 20 |
2014 | 20 |
2015 | 20 |
2016 | 20 |
2017 | 20 |
2018 | 21 |
2019 | 21 |
2020 | 20 |
Data sources and quality
Note that the minimum term is the time between date of sentence and tariff expiry date. Time on remand is taken into account when setting the tariff expiry date. The figures do not include whole-life orders.
The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Source: Public Protection Unit Database.