Criminal Justice Act 2003

4 (1) If— E+W

(a) the court considers that the seriousness of the offence (or the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it) is exceptionally high, and

(b) the offender was aged 21 or over when he committed the offence,

the appropriate starting point is a whole life order.

(2) Cases that would normally fall within sub-paragraph (1)(a) include—

(a) the murder of two or more persons, where each murder involves any of the following—

(i) a substantial degree of premeditation or planning,

(ii) the abduction of the victim, or

(iii) sexual or sadistic conduct,

(b) the murder of a child if involving the abduction of the child or sexual or sadistic motivation,

[F1 (ba) the murder of a police officer or prison officer in the course of his or her duty,]

(c) a murder done for the purpose of advancing a political, religious [F2 , racial] or ideological cause, or

(d) a murder by an offender previously convicted of murder.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 21 para. 4(2)(ba) inserted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), ss. 27(2), 95(1) (with s. 27(4)); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 23

F2 Words in Sch. 21 para. 4(2)(c) inserted (16.2.2009) by Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (c. 28), ss. 75(1)(2)(c), 91, 100 (with s. 101(2)); S.I. 2009/58, art. 2(c)