Do killers deserve any sort of mercy?
By Michelle Cazzulino The Telegraph June 20, 2008 Justice Roderick Howe faces arduous task in sentencing CAPTION: In tears at decision … euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke. Picture: Sam Mooy HE observed that the jury had been forced to adjudicate on an “extraordinarily difficult” case, but Justice Roderick Howie now faces an equally arduous task. Charged with the responsibility of sentencing Shirley Justins and Caren Jenning over the death of Graeme Wylie, he will once again confront the complexities of a high-profile case that divided the community from the outset. With seemingly no public consensus on the subject, community attitudes towards euthanasia are unlikely to provide any guide to sentencing. Further complicating the matter is the respective ages of the two offenders: Shirley Justins, who was found guilty of manslaughter, is 59, while Caren Jenning, who was found guilty of being an accessory to manslaughter, is 75 and suffering terminal cancer. The severity of the women
