WEEKS CASE: EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DECISION

HL Deb 15 March 1988 vol 494 cc1125-6WA

Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be the impact of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Robert Weeks (2nd March 1987) on persons detained at the Secretary of State's pleasure in Northern Ireland, and more generally on those serving indeterminate sentences in all United Kingdom jurisdictions; and whether new provision will be made for periodic reviews by an independent tribunal capable of ordering release.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)

The implications of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in theWeeks case are still under consideration. The court clearly distinguished Mr. Weeks' life sentence from those which were imposed on other people because of the gravity of their offences. It found that, "the clearly stated purpose for which Mr. Weeks' sentence was imposed, taken together with the particular facts pertaining to the offence for which he was convicted … placed the sentence in the special category". The judgment therefore does not apply generally to persons serving indeterminate sentences.