Home / Crime and Justice / MP calls for more time for sentence review
MP calls for more time for sentence review
27 Mar
Summary
- Families need more time to review sentences for serious crimes.
- The 28-day limit for sentence review is seen as a barrier.
- An MP highlighted a constituent's campaign for more time.
A Member of Parliament is advocating for an extension to the time limit for victims' families to challenge sentences they consider unduly lenient. The existing 28-day window under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme is being criticized as insufficient for families dealing with the profound grief and complex legalities following serious crimes.
The push for reform is exemplified by the case of Sarah Marsden, who was murdered at 16. Her family found the 28-day period inadequate to request a sentence review, especially after enduring the trauma of the trial and learning the brutal details of her death. This situation underscores the need for a more compassionate and practical approach to justice for victims' families.
