Homicide: Sentencing

(asked on 24th May 2021) - View Source

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.


This question was answered on 8th June 2021

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.

Reticulating Splines