• Latest
  • Trending
Terrorists should ‘not necessarily’ serve full jail term, says Jeremy Corbyn

Terrorists should ‘not necessarily’ serve full jail term, says Jeremy Corbyn

December 2, 2019
Northern Ireland customs protocol could thwart Brexit plans

Northern Ireland customs protocol could thwart Brexit plans

December 9, 2019
Football faces calls for action on racism in wake of Manchester derby

Football faces calls for action on racism in wake of Manchester derby

December 9, 2019
A British child becomes homeless every eight minutes, Shelter report finds

A British child becomes homeless every eight minutes, Shelter report finds

December 3, 2019
Anti-Semitism becomes defining issue for U.K.’s Labour Party ahead of election

Anti-Semitism becomes defining issue for U.K.’s Labour Party ahead of election

December 3, 2019
EU budget fight heats up

EU budget fight heats up

December 3, 2019
Boris Johnson accused of politicising London Bridge knife attack

Boris Johnson accused of politicising London Bridge knife attack

December 3, 2019
COP25: 200 countries pledge ‘green revolution’

COP25: 200 countries pledge ‘green revolution’

December 3, 2019
London Bridge attack: families and friends pay tribute to victims

London Bridge attack: families and friends pay tribute to victims

December 3, 2019
Hong Kong & the Black Hand

Hong Kong & the Black Hand

December 2, 2019
Just not good enough! Solskjaer enters Man Utd endgame after Aston Villa draw

Just not good enough! Solskjaer enters Man Utd endgame after Aston Villa draw

December 2, 2019
Antitrust: Commission fines Google €1.49 billion for abusive practices in online advertising

Antitrust: Commission fines Google €1.49 billion for abusive practices in online advertising

December 2, 2019
Loud bang that woke London was sonic boom caused by fighter jets

Loud bang that woke London was sonic boom caused by fighter jets

December 2, 2019
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Brussels Observer
No Result
View All Result
  • BeNeLux
    • Belgium
      • Brussels
    • Luxembourg
    • Netherlands
  • World
    • Africa
    • Asia
      • China
      • North Korea
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • National Security
    • Cyber Security
    • Immigration
    • Politics
      • Democracy
      • Free Speech
    • Terrorism
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Free Market
  • Science
    • Technology
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books & Literature
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • History
    • Movies & TV
    • Music
    • Privacy
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Women & Children
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Endangered Species
    • Forests
    • Oceans & Water
    • Wildlife
  • Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Cycling
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Mountain Sports
    • Olympics
    • Tennis
    • Water Sports
  • BeNeLux
    • Belgium
      • Brussels
    • Luxembourg
    • Netherlands
  • World
    • Africa
    • Asia
      • China
      • North Korea
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • National Security
    • Cyber Security
    • Immigration
    • Politics
      • Democracy
      • Free Speech
    • Terrorism
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Free Market
  • Science
    • Technology
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books & Literature
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • History
    • Movies & TV
    • Music
    • Privacy
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Women & Children
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Endangered Species
    • Forests
    • Oceans & Water
    • Wildlife
  • Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Cycling
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Mountain Sports
    • Olympics
    • Tennis
    • Water Sports
No Result
View All Result
Brussels Observer
No Result
View All Result

Terrorists should ‘not necessarily’ serve full jail term, says Jeremy Corbyn

The father of terror victim Jack Merritt does not wish his son's death to be "used as a pretext for more draconian sentences".

December 2, 2019
in Featured, National Security, News, Politics, Terrorism, United Kingdom
0
Home Featured
Post Views: 2

 

Jeremy Corbyn has told Sky News that convicted terrorists should “not necessarily” automatically serve their full prison sentences.

The Labour leader’s comment comes in the wake of Friday’s London Bridge terror attack, which left two people dead.

The attacker, 28-year-old Usman Khan, was a convicted terrorist who was wearing an electronic tag after being released halfway through a 16-year prison sentence for plotting to bomb the London Stock Exchange.

RelatedPosts

Anti-Semitism becomes defining issue for U.K.’s Labour Party ahead of election

EU budget fight heats up

Boris Johnson accused of politicising London Bridge knife attack

London Bridge attack: families and friends pay tribute to victims

Loud bang that woke London was sonic boom caused by fighter jets

Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of Usman Khan, 20, one of nine members of an al Qaida-inspired terror group that plotted to bomb the London Stock Exchange and build a terrorist training camp, who has been jailed for a minimum term of eight years. He has been named as the perpetrator of an attack on London Bridge on Friday. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 30, 2019. See PA story POLICE LondonBridge. Photo credit should read: West Midlands Police/PA Wir
Usman Khan killed two people in a knife rampage on Friday

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said violent offenders “must serve every day of their sentence, with no exceptions”.

Speaking to Sky’s Sophy Ridge, Mr Corbyn said there were lessons to be learned from the incident and there should be a “full investigation” into the circumstances around the attacker’s prison sentence and subsequent release.

Pressed on whether convicted terrorists should serve their full prison sentences automatically, he said: “No, not necessarily”.

The Labour leader continued: “I think it depends on the circumstances and it depends on the sentence but crucially depends on what they’ve done in prison.

“I think there has to be an examination of how our prison services work and crucially what happens to them on release from prison.”

He added: “There has to be an examination of what goes on in the prison, because prisons ought to be a place where people are put away because of major serious offences but also a place where rehabilitation takes place.”

Mr Corbyn said police “had no choice” but to shoot Khan dead as they were “stuck with a situation where there was a credible threat of a bomb belt around his body”.

Speaking later at an event in York, he said people cannot be kept safe “on the cheap”.

Mr Corbyn added: “We have to understand that no government can prevent every attack. No-one would believe any political leader who said they could. But the government can act to make such acts of terror less, rather than more, likely.”

His remarks follow the prime minister’s assertion that automatic early release must end and other laws must change to strengthen security.

Mr Johnson claimed that because the “broken hung parliament was preoccupied with blocking Brexit”, his government was unable to make the changes required to keep violent offenders and terrorists in jail for longer.

He said: “This system has got to end – I repeat, this has got to end, as I’ve been saying for four months.”

“If you are convicted of a serious terrorist offence, there should be a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years – and some should never be released.

Jack Merritt. Pic: Instagram
Jack Merritt was killed in the London Bridge terror attack. Pic: Instagram

“Further, for all terrorism and extremist offences the sentence announced by the judge must be the time actually served – these criminals must serve every day of their sentence, with no exceptions.

“These simple changes, in line with what I’ve been saying since becoming prime minister, would have prevented this attack.”

The PM told the BBC’s Andrew Marr he found it “repulsive” that terrorists like Khan could be released from prison after serving eight years.

He added that there were “probably about 74” others subject to early release after terror offences, cases that are now being “properly invigilated” to “make sure there is no threat”.

Mr Johnson also sought to blame Labour for the release of Khan, saying: “The reason this killer was out on the streets was because of automatic early release which was brought in by a leftie government.”

It comes after the father of Jack Merritt, the 25-year-old who was killed in Friday’s attack, urged politicians not to enforce “draconian” sentences.

According to CambridgeshireLive, David Merritt said: “My son, Jack, who was killed in this attack, would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily.

“R.I.P. Jack: you were a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog.”

Law student Jake Thorold, who knew Jack Merritt from the Learning Together prison rehabilitation programme, accused “shameless” politicians of “attempting to use his death to legitimate draconian sentencing changes”.

He wrote on Twitter: “The awful actions of the perpetrator of Jack’s death should of course not be minimised.

Police at the scene
Two people were killed in the attack

“But when he is pointed to as justification for an evermore uncaring justice system, the values that @JustisTogether have championed should be fought for even harder.”

Liberal Democrat Ed Davey accused Mr Johnson of “politicising” the attack.

“In the middle of an election, we shouldn’t be making political capital out of a tragedy, and he’s doing that, and he’s doing that in a way which is misleading people about what the law actually says,” he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday.

When David Merritt’s comments were put to Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary told the same programme: “No one wants to see the politicisation of this.”

Khan’s sentence was quashed at the Court of Appeal in April 2013 and he was given a determinate 16-year jail term, with a five-year extended licence period, under legislation which meant he was released automatically halfway through the sentence.

Sentencing law changed in 2012, and if Khan was given the same sentence today, he would have had to serve at least two-thirds and be released only if the Parole Board agreed.

The Parole Board said it had no involvement in his release and that Khan “appears to have been released automatically on licence” halfway through his sentence.

The Ministry of Justice says it will be reviewing the licence conditions of every terrorist offender to make sure they are “as tough as they need to be”.

It adds the review is being undertaken to “guarantee public safety rather than because of any particular concern”.

Source :

Sky News

Tags: Jeremy CorbynLondonterroristsUnited Kingdom

Related Posts

Northern Ireland customs protocol could thwart Brexit plans
BeNeLux

Northern Ireland customs protocol could thwart Brexit plans

December 9, 2019
Football faces calls for action on racism in wake of Manchester derby
Europe

Football faces calls for action on racism in wake of Manchester derby

December 9, 2019
A British child becomes homeless every eight minutes, Shelter report finds
BeNeLux

A British child becomes homeless every eight minutes, Shelter report finds

December 3, 2019
Anti-Semitism becomes defining issue for U.K.’s Labour Party ahead of election
Belgium

Anti-Semitism becomes defining issue for U.K.’s Labour Party ahead of election

December 3, 2019
EU budget fight heats up
Belgium

EU budget fight heats up

December 3, 2019
Next Post
Loud bang that woke London was sonic boom caused by fighter jets

Loud bang that woke London was sonic boom caused by fighter jets

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Translate

Donation

Make us keep update!
Donate 100 EUR
Donate 500 EUR
Donate 1000 EUR

Popular Post

Northern Ireland customs protocol could thwart Brexit plans
BeNeLux

Northern Ireland customs protocol could thwart Brexit plans

December 9, 2019
0

  Northern Ireland customs arrangements may thwart Boris Johnson’s plan to leave the EU by December 2020, according to a...

Read more
German businesses face rising threat of industrial espionage

German businesses face rising threat of industrial espionage

September 11, 2017
Top palm oil producer sues green group over deforestation allegations

Top palm oil producer sues green group over deforestation allegations

September 11, 2017
Malaysian palm oil price extends losses, tracks weak overseas soy markets

Malaysian palm oil price extends losses, tracks weak overseas soy markets

September 11, 2017
Indonesia’s bitter mining endgame

Indonesia’s bitter mining endgame

September 11, 2017
  • About Us
  • Creative Commons
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us

Topics

Follow Us

About Us

Brussels Observer is part of Brussels Observer Media Group LLC, which delivers daily news around the globe.

© 2011 Brussels Observer

No Result
View All Result
  • BeNeLux
    • Belgium
      • Brussels
    • Luxembourg
    • Netherlands
  • World
    • Africa
    • Asia
      • China
      • North Korea
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • National Security
    • Cyber Security
    • Immigration
    • Politics
      • Democracy
      • Free Speech
    • Terrorism
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Free Market
  • Science
    • Technology
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books & Literature
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • History
    • Movies & TV
    • Music
    • Privacy
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Women & Children
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Endangered Species
    • Forests
    • Oceans & Water
    • Wildlife
  • Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Cycling
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Mountain Sports
    • Olympics
    • Tennis
    • Water Sports

© 2011 Brussels Observer