In view of the Martin case, should mandatory life sentences be changed?
Geoff Hoon: Murder remains the most serious crime in our society and so I am in favour of mandatory life sentences. Norman Lamont: I am in favour of them. When the death penalty was abolished, mandatory life sentences gave the public some kind of protection. Liz Lynne: People who commit murder commit different types of murder. No murder is the same and should be judged independently and judges should have the right to decide on the individual sentence. Frederick Lawton: I have had doubts about this for a long time. The time has now come that Judges should have a discretionary right to sentence as they see fit. I believe that the Martin case was a one-off case. Glen Smyth: In the Martin case, should it have been appropriate that he should have been sentenced to murder? I don’t think so. You said: The judge in summing up said this was a warning to criminals. What he should have said is this is warning to house-owners, so just invite the burglars in! David Thorn, Dartford William Hague ha
