Rachel Morgan reports on a significant shift in sentencing guidelines for domestic murders, following a long-standing campaign by bereaved mothers and advocacy groups. From now on, individuals convicted of murdering a current or former partner in England and Wales will face a minimum prison sentence of 25 years – an increase of 10 years under new rules announced by Justice Secretary David Lammy.
The change is the culmination of seven years of tireless campaigning by Carole Gould, Julie Devey, and Elaine Newborough, whose daughters were brutally murdered by their ex-partners or boyfriends. The mothers' advocacy, supported by the charity Killed Women, has been instrumental in bringing about this reform. A major factor driving the campaign was the glaring disparity between sentencing guidelines for domestic murders – a 15-year starting point for those committed with a weapon already present in the home, compared to 25 years where a new weapon is brought into the scene.
Mr Lammy acknowledged that the law has historically failed to adequately protect women from violence, noting while progress has been made, more must be done. In paying tribute to the mothers and their charity, he highlighted the courageous advocacy that led to this reform. The mothers expressed relief at the change, stating it finally values women's lives as highly as men's – a sentiment echoed by organisations like Refuge and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs.
However, some concerns have been raised about the implications of these changes. The Prison Reform Trust's deputy director, Mark Day, expressed worry that increased sentence lengths for serious offences will further strain an already overburdened prison system. He noted that the announcement pre-empts findings from a Law Commission review of homicide offences and called for caution in implementing these new guidelines.
It is also worth noting that while the changes have been welcomed by many, they do not extend to victims killed by other family members or about partial defences used to secure manslaughter convictions. The reform aligns with the government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls and ensure swifter justice for victims and their families – a goal that will be closely watched as domestic incidents continue to account for over a fifth of all murders in England and Wales, with women disproportionately being the victims.