§ Lord Hutchinson of Lullingtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many judicial recommendations for a minimum period of detention for offenders convicted of murder have been made since 1965, and how many life sentence prisoners have been released at an earlier date than that recommended by the trial judge.
Earl FerrersSince the power was introduced in 1965, 271 recommendations have been made by courts in England and Wales. To date, eight life sentence prisoners in England and Wales have been released on life licence at an earlier date than that recommended by the trial judge (including two who were terminally ill and released on humanitarian grounds). In all the cases, in accordance with the provisions of Section 61 of the Criminal Justice Act, the prisoners were released on the recommendation of the Parole Board and after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice and, where available, the trial judge.