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Homicide — murderVerified against official source
This range was checked against the official legal text. Last verified: 2026-10-19.
Statutory range
Mandatory life — whole life order
- Imprisonment
- Life (whole life order — never released)
- Fine
- No fine — sentence fixed by law
Starting point where seriousness is exceptionally high and the offender was 21+ at the offence (Sch 21 para 2).
Mandatory life — minimum term starting point 30 years
- Imprisonment
- Life; minimum term starting point 30 years
- Fine
- No fine — sentence fixed by law
Particularly high seriousness, offender 18+ (para 3) — e.g. firearm / explosive, murder for gain, sexual or sadistic conduct, two or more victims.
Mandatory life — minimum term starting point 25 years
- Imprisonment
- Life; minimum term starting point 25 years
- Fine
- No fine — sentence fixed by law
Offender 18+ who took a knife or other weapon to the scene intending to commit an offence or have it available, and used it (para 4).
Mandatory life — minimum term starting point 15 years
- Imprisonment
- Life; minimum term starting point 15 years
- Fine
- No fine — sentence fixed by law
Other adult cases (para 5).
Mandatory life — offender under 18
- Imprisonment
- Life (detention at His Majesty's pleasure); starting point 8–27 years by age
- Fine
- No fine — sentence fixed by law
Para 5A table: age 17 → 27 / 23 / 14 years; 15–16 → 20 / 17 / 10; 14 or under → 15 / 13 / 8, depending on which adult starting point would have applied.
Murder carries a mandatory life sentence — the court has no discretion over the sentence type. The figures below are Sch 21 starting points for the minimum term (time before parole eligibility), not predicted sentences; aggravating and mitigating factors move the term up or down, and the court can still impose a whole life order.