Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980

43 Punishment for murder

For section 205 of the 1975 Act there shall be substituted the following sections—

“205 Punishment for murder.

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, a person convicted of murder shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

(2) Where a person convicted of murder is under the age of 18 years he shall not be sentenced to imprisonment for life but to be detained without limit of time and shall be liable to be detained in such place, and under such conditions, as the Secretary of State may direct.

(3) Where a person convicted of murder has attained the age of 18 years but is under the age of 21 years he shall not be sentenced to imprisonment for life but to be detained in a young offenders institution and shall be liable to be detained for life.

205A Recommendation as to minimum period of detention for person convicted of murder.

(1) On sentencing any person convicted of murder a judge may make a recommendation as to the minimum period which should elapse before, under section 61 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967, the Secretary of State releases that person on licence.

(2) When making a recommendation under subsection (1) above, the judge shall state his reasons for so recommending.

(3) Notwithstanding the proviso to subsection (1) of section 228 of this Act it shall be competent to appeal under paragraph (b) or (c) of that subsection against a recommendation made under subsection (1) above; and for the purposes of such appeal (including the High Court's power of disposal under section 254(3)(b) of this Act) the recommendation shall be deemed part of the sentence passed on conviction.”.