This was the Law Commission's proposed sentencing structure for homicide cases in 2006.

It made sense, but was never implemented partly for political reasons: it would have meant some convicted murderers avoiding a 'life' sentence.

Will this govt have the appetite for change?

Chris Kinch KC: Court underfunding made the past few years a struggle The former senior judge at Woolwich tells Catherine Baksi that, despite retiring, he is keeping track of the chaos in the system and says trial delays are ‘unconscionable’

“If ever the list got to a point where we were listing over a year in advance, we would regard that as a real failure,” Chris Kinch KC, former senior crown court judge tells @thetimes.com, criticising “unconscionable” delays to trials due to cap on court sitting days www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

But what if the sign said 'Unless you've heard a Defendant has no previous convictions, that means he's got some' ?

One thing I find odd about the American outrage about the sentences imposed for those taking part in the disorder, is how the terms (generally under 3 years) are so short compared to some of the telephone number sentences they hand out for all sorts of offending.

For barristers, social media can be like a beer trap for slugs /1