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Sentencing Act 2020

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Changes over time for: Section 321

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Version Superseded: 28/06/2022

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Status:

Point in time view as at 02/05/2022. This version of this provision has been superseded. Help about Status

Changes to legislation:

Sentencing Act 2020, Section 321 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 27 February 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

321Life sentence: minimum term order or whole life orderE+W

(1)Where a court passes a life sentence, it must make an order under this section.

(2)The order must be a minimum term order unless the court is required to make a whole life order under subsection (3).

(3)The order must be a whole life order if—

(a)the offender was 21 or over when the offence was committed, and

(b)the court is of the opinion that, because of the seriousness of—

(i)the offence, or

(ii)the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it,

it should not make a minimum term order.

(4)A minimum term order is an order that the early release provisions (see section 324) are to apply to the offender as soon as the offender has served the part of the sentence which is specified in the order in accordance with section 322 or 323 (“the minimum term”).

(5)A whole life order is an order that the early release provisions are not to apply to the offender.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Ss. 321-324 modified by 2006 c. 52, s. 261A (as inserted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 60 (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2)

Commencement Information

I1S. 321 in force at 1.12.2020 by S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2

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