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Serious Crime Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 73: 73: Clause 53, page 30, line 24, leave out ““life imprisonment”” and insert ““imprisonment for life”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, Amendment No. 73 makes a very minor, but important, drafting change to Clause 53(5), which sets out the penalty that will be available where D is convicted of an offence under Clause 41 in relation to murder. The policy is that a person who has encouraged or assisted murder should be subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. That was recommended by the Law Commission and is included in the current draft of the Bill. However, counsel has advised that the correct wording for such a penalty is the phrase ““imprisonment for life””. That is consistent with the phrase used earlier in the Bill at Clause 53(2) and attracts the various modifications applicable to those who are under the age at which such a sentence could be imposed. I hope that noble Lords will accept the amendment. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to.