Remission: A gift from the state

The automatic granting of remission should be a matter of public scandal, writes Paul Anthony McDermott

THE release of Larry Murphy after serving only three-quarters of his sentence has once again drawn attention to the extraordinary system of remission that operates in this country.

At a sentence hearing a judge will carefully listen to the evidence given and to the submissions made and then, after agonising over all of the material, will finally impose what he believes to be the appropriate sentence.