I think Andy Burnham is making a mistake with PC Harper’s killers

[SereneFinch]

Of course no-one wants to see them released early but to single out a particular case for political reasons undermines our justice system doesn’t it?

Everyone must be treated the same and to not will invite some sort of appeal from them and no doubt result in lengthy reviews and hearings about their treatment. Which costs money and gives them more attention.

Plus there will be many other cases where an early release is equally infuriating but those families won’t be heard.

Michael Howard did this with the Bulger case and it resulted in sentencing powers being taken away from the Home Secretary and put solely in the hands of judges.

I think this is going to be a huge problem for him if he’s not careful.

We want to be safe. Deport them all including asylum seekers. The least someone being given asylum can do is not prey on those giving them sanctuary.

@whymewhynowwhy I'm not so sure.
If I was burgled by someone who'd come here from another country, I think I'd rather they got sent back to their home country with a lifetime ban from the UK, than got a 2 year prison sentence, reduced to a year for good behaviour, only to come out and do the same again.

At least you’re honest that you don’t really care about justice

@whymewhynowwhy it could be argued that deportation is justice. Incarceration is just one form of punishment.

I agree in principle but they need to introduce something where serving first responders are treated differently. Also lack of remorse.
And yes, 4.2 million on the traveller site is just bloody brilliant.

How is it justice? Sending them off with 0
punishment?

I don't really know what that means to be honest. Of course, there should be justice for the victims of any crime, but the victims themselves (and their families) are not necessarily best placed to decide what that looks like.

The law has already been changed to ensure that there are mandatory life sentences going forward for those all who are convicted of killing emergency service workers, but you cannot change the law retrospectively - that is a fundamental principle that cannot and should not be crossed.

So the message is some peoples lives are worth more than others ?

Anyone else for the A-list ? Politicians maybe ?

@whymewhynowwhy because they want to be in the UK. Sending them home, to a country that they already chose to leave, is a punishment. Especially if they have friends, a job, a life etc in the UK. I suspect that many convicted criminal non-UK nationals would actually prefer a few months prison to being sent back home.

No the message is some people put their lives in risk for others so need an enhanced level of protection under the law.

They get a paid flight home and a free life. That’s not justice.

I agree that you can't really just keep certain people in because of public opinion so 'they have to stay in because they killed him, but they can be let out because they killed whoever.'

I think that they're looking at who else they can shift around to try to keep as many people in as possible.

The whole justice system is crap. Released early for murder yet someone who steals a phone is sentenced to 2 years a d has, so far, served 14. Madness.

PC Harper’s family did the right thing by contacting the media and getting them onside. His mum has been on tv a lot the last week or so and ‘good morning Britain ‘ has really run with this too. Whatever your view, they haven’t given up.

The man who actually drove the car is not being released early.
They weren't convicted of murder.

IMO, the purpose of punishment is 1. deterrent, 2. protect the public. Deportation would serve that purpose.

So their lives are worth more then. Just rearranging words can't change that.

How about someone who isn't a police office, but who gets killed trying to prevent a crime. How will their family feel as their killers get a lighter sentence ? Grace O'Malley-Kumar died trying to prevent a crime.

I refuse to apologise for my morals that see all humans as humans. And I will in the same vein refuse to negotiate with anyone who thinks differently.

Rehabilitation ?

A distant 3rd.

So all sentences may as well be life sentences then.

No argument from me. You can't say it's discriminatory then can you ?

3 strikes and you are out

For this reason, as it is not isolated, groups of children should not be allowed to stop going to school because of ‘culture’.

Not being able to read or write doesn't equate with a low iq.

I knew someone with a genuinely low iq due to disability and they 100 % had empathy and undersrood right from wrong.

Does anyone remember the viral clips of a school girl being attacked and the parents aiding the attack telling them where to grab kick and punch.

Prison definitely works as a deterrent. The homicide rare in 2000 was 15 per million. The average term served was 13 years. Now the average term served is 21 years and the homicide rate has dropped to 9 per million. THev downside is more lifers in the system.

In 1960, the homicide rate was 6 per million. It could be argued that the death penalty deterred 3 murders per million, or 210 murders per annum. If the death penalty came back, only a handful of murderers would need topping, say 1/2 per month. That would lead to a saving of 200 lives per annum .

All police ambulance and firefighters killed in the line of duty. There is no madness involved in this.