Multiple-Victim Murder,Multiple Murders and Sched. 21 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003

Abstract

A small proportion of convicted murderers kill more than one victim: some kill two or more victims by a single act; others kill one at a time. Schedule 21 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 identifies various starting points which judges should have regard to when setting the minimum terms for murderers, but one clear consequence of this is that the murder of a single victim may result in a starting point of a whole life term, whereas the murder of multiple victims may indicate a starting point of a 30-year term. Obviously, all aggravating and mitigating factors must be taken into account, but this article questions whether the number of murder victims should automatically be given more weight in determining the minimum term.