There are clearly circumstances under the new regime for the passing of mandatory sentences for repeat offenders which were offensive to a judge’s sense of justice. It was possible that such laws would lead to applications under the Human Rights legislation. Nevertheless, the court must interpret the term ‘exceptional circumstances’ restrictively. Provocation or the passage of time were not capable of constituting exceptional circumstances.
Citations:
Times 04-Apr-2000
Statutes:
Criminal Sentencing
Updated: 11 May 2022; Ref: scu.85593