Should life mean life? How long is a piece of string?

Whenever this debate is rolled out again into the media spotlight and some of the comments suggest bringing back the death penalty, I cannot help but think about what would have happened in the cases of the Birmingham 6, Guildford 4 and Maguire 7? I don't think that there are any adequate excuses for hanging innocent people.

Even I accept that in a small minority of cases that a sentence of life imprisonment should mean that the prisoner remains in custody until death. But, for the vast majority, I believe that their life sentences should be altered to determinate sentences as reflected by the trial judge's tariff in each individual case.

And, that the automatic life sentence should be scrapped on the basis that it was knee-jerk legislation which any thinking Parliament in it's right mind would not have passed had it thought the issue through properly.

Notsaussure covers McDonald's attempt to change the meaning of McJob. Some of the commenters on the Tory article about should life sentences be for life, referred to the luxury of prison. Having spent 35 years inside, I have seen some improvements in living conditions. However, it is a mis-perception to refer to prison as being a luxury. I think you would only have to ask Jefferey Archer and Jonathan Aitken whether prison met their understanding of the word luxury.