The Whole Life Order: Have the Floodgates Been Opened? – Pump Court Chambers
‘Events that occurred in March 2021 instituted a widespread heated debate both domestically and internationally as a consequence of the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of police officer Wayne Couzens. It sparked a global women’s safety movement and erosion of public confidence in police protection, alongside sparking conversations around inequality, misogyny and victim-blaming. Further, it was also a rare case of a whole life order being handed down for a single murder. Up there in the list of the most famous names in criminal history with Myra Hindley, Peter Sutcliffe and Rosemary West, now stands the name Wayne Couzens. Putting aside societal, political and media considerations regarding this sentence, can interpretation of the statute and of sentencing provisions in this case be seen as opening the floodgates?’
Pump Court Chambers, 10th May 2022
Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com
