Life sentences - Killers drivers in Britain
Announcing the change, British justice minister Dominic Raab said: “We intend to introduce life sentences of imprisonment for those who wreck lives by driving dangerously, drunk or high on drugs.” It will apply to offences in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland.
The decision has received mixed responses in Britain and should give us pause for thought in Ireland. While extremely harsh, it at least brings a degree of certainty to sentencing in the most serious cases of driving causing death. The Irish Court of Appeal offers no guidelines on sentencing and there have been a number of cases where jail sentences imposed on drivers who kill have been reduced on appeal.
