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| Murderer Arthur Hutchinson loses whole-life challenge | Murderer Arthur Hutchinson loses whole-life challenge |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A triple murderer has lost his challenge at the European Court of Human Rights against his whole-life prison sentence. | A triple murderer has lost his challenge at the European Court of Human Rights against his whole-life prison sentence. |
| Arthur Hutchinson was the first Briton to challenge such a sentence after the court's Grand Chamber ruled in 2013 that the terms breached human rights. | Arthur Hutchinson was the first Briton to challenge such a sentence after the court's Grand Chamber ruled in 2013 that the terms breached human rights. |
| It made that decision on the basis that whole-life orders were not "reducible". | It made that decision on the basis that whole-life orders were not "reducible". |
| Judges have now ruled this was not the case with Hutchinson as the justice secretary can review whole-life terms. | Judges have now ruled this was not the case with Hutchinson as the justice secretary can review whole-life terms. |
| 'Exceptional release' | |
| Hartlepool-born Hutchinson was jailed in 1984 for stabbing Basil and Avril Laitner to death after breaking into their Sheffield home on the night of their daughter's wedding, then killing one of their sons. | Hartlepool-born Hutchinson was jailed in 1984 for stabbing Basil and Avril Laitner to death after breaking into their Sheffield home on the night of their daughter's wedding, then killing one of their sons. |
| The Strasbourg-based court ruled that in his case there had been no violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which relates to inhuman and degrading treatment. | |
| Under the previous ruling, the court had said there had to be the possibility of a review at some stage and that current laws allowing for release in exceptional circumstances were unclear. | Under the previous ruling, the court had said there had to be the possibility of a review at some stage and that current laws allowing for release in exceptional circumstances were unclear. |
| The Court of Appeal in the UK then said in 2014 that the law in England and Wales "is clear as to 'possible exceptional release of whole-life prisoners'". | |
| It said the secretary of state had the power to release a prisoner on licence if they were satisfied exceptional circumstances existed that justified it on compassionate grounds. | |
| And the European court has now agreed that the legal situation in the UK is considered to be in line with human rights laws. | |
| The judges said in a written ruling: "In the circumstances of this case where, following the Grand Chamber's judgment in which it expressed doubts about the clarity of domestic law, the national court has specifically addressed those doubts and set out an unequivocal statement of the legal position, the court must accept the national court's interpretation of domestic law." |