This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/24/lord-blair-condon-met-police-killers-life-sentences

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Met chiefs under fire over opposition to full-life sentences for police killers Met chiefs under fire over opposition to full-life sentences for police killers
(about 1 hour later)
Two former heads of Scotland Yard have come under fire from officers for opposing full life terms for killers of police. Two former heads of Scotland Yard have come under fire from officers for opposing full-life terms for killers of police.
Lord Blair and Lord Condon, ex-commissioners of the Metropolitan Police, have criticised plans for whole life terms as a PR exercise and "a contemporary version of hanging", a reference to the automatic death penalty handed out to police killers before the abolition of capital punishment. Lord Blair and Lord Condon, ex-commissioners of the Metropolitan police, have criticised plans for whole-life terms as a PR exercise and "a contemporary version of hanging", a reference to the automatic death penalty handed out to police killers before the abolition of capital punishment.
During debates on the government's criminal justice and courts bill that would introduce "whole life tariffs", Lord Blair said that the measure was "unnecessary and populist". During debates on the government's criminal justice and courts bill that would introduce "whole-life tariffs", Blair said the measure was "unnecessary and populist".
Arguing that there was "no evidence of judicial complacency" in sentencing police killers before, he called the government's plans "simply dangerous, unhelpful and totally misguided".Arguing that there was "no evidence of judicial complacency" in sentencing police killers before, he called the government's plans "simply dangerous, unhelpful and totally misguided".
Lord Condon said the bill "feels like a piece of symbolic, public relations legislation". Condon said the bill "feels like a piece of symbolic, public relations legislation".
Theresa May, home secretary, moved to toughen up the law against police murderers last year at the Police Federation annual conference in Bournemouth, seen as a move to placate front line police officers who were unhappy over changes to pay and conditions. Theresa May, the home secretary, moved to toughen up the law against police murderers last year at the Police Federation annual conference in Bournemouth, seen as a move to placate frontline police officers who were unhappy over changes to pay and conditions.
Under the "whole life" order proposed by May, police killers will never be eligible for parole and will normally die in jail. The move followed the murder by Dale Cregan of WPCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone in Manchester in September 2012. Under the "whole-life" order proposed by May, police killers would never be eligible for parole and would normally die in jail. The move followed the murder by Dale Cregan of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone in Manchester in September 2012.
In cases where a defendant is convicted of murdering a police officer, the sentencing judge will have to take the whole life order as a starting point but they will retain discretion on whether mitigating factors could reduce the sentence. In cases where a defendant is convicted of murdering a police officer, the sentencing judge will have to take the whole-life order as a starting point but they will retain discretion on whether mitigating factors could reduce the sentence.
In speaking out against full-life terms, Lord Blair, commissioner between 2005 and 2008, and Lord Condon, in charge at Scotland Yard between 1993 and 2000, have in turn have come under attack by serving officers. In speaking out against full-life terms, Blair, commissioner between 2005 and 2008, and Condon, in charge at Scotland Yard between 1993 and 2000, have in turn come under attack by serving officers.
Ian Hanson, from the Greater Manchester police federation and a former colleague of WPCs Hughes and Bone, criticised the former Scotland Yard chiefs. Ian Hanson, from the Greater Manchester police federation and a former colleague of Hughes and Bone, criticised the former Scotland Yard chiefs.
"They sit in the splendour of the House of Lords and do so only by virtue of having had the honour of wearing the same uniform as those who have given their lives protecting our communities," he said. "Yet now they forget their roots and speak in defence of the rights of police murderers.""They sit in the splendour of the House of Lords and do so only by virtue of having had the honour of wearing the same uniform as those who have given their lives protecting our communities," he said. "Yet now they forget their roots and speak in defence of the rights of police murderers."
Hanson told the Daily Mail: "The men and women of our police service put their lives on the line every day to protect us all and need our protection.Hanson told the Daily Mail: "The men and women of our police service put their lives on the line every day to protect us all and need our protection.
"An attack upon a police officer is an attack upon every decent citizen.""An attack upon a police officer is an attack upon every decent citizen."
Since 2000 there have been 12 killings of police officers in the line of duty.Since 2000 there have been 12 killings of police officers in the line of duty.