Policy background Custodial Sentences Whole life order as a starting point for premeditated child murder
Section 125 expands the existing criteria, set out in Schedule 21 to the Code, so that the premeditated murder of a child should have, as its starting point, a whole life order when it comes to a court passing sentence. This change is being made to reflect the particularly heinous nature of such murders, ensuring they can be met with the most severe punishment that is available.