Paul Neilan and Eoin ReynoldsAn on-the-run police killer, who argued that he was facing an "extreme and draconian" sentencing regime if he was sent back to prison in the North, has consented to his surrender, the High Court has heard. However, before allowing Frane's release, the parole board in Northern Ireland must be satisfied that he no longer poses a risk to the community. Ms Quinlivan pointed out that a judge of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland has described Indefinite Custodial Sentences as "extreme and draconian" and urged lawmakers to reconsider them. He said it is a well-established principle that preventing risk to the public cannot be the only objective of sentencing. A sentence requiring a person to prove they are no longer a risk to society would be unconstitutional in this jurisdiction, she said, and such a regime represents an egregious and fundamental defect in the sentencing regime in Northern Ireland.

Source: The Herald August 08, 2024 02:21 UTC