List of prisoners with whole life orders
List of prisoners with whole life orders: a simple guide
What is a whole-life order?
- A whole-life order is a type of life sentence where the person is not eligible for release at any point. The prisoner is expected to die in prison unless something changes the sentence later.
How the system started and how it works now
- The whole-life order was introduced in 1983. At first, government ministers decided when such orders should be used.
- After a 2002 court case involving Anthony Anderson, judges (not ministers) began to decide whether to impose a whole-life order.
- Since then, many cases have gone to court. Some orders have been reviewed or reduced on appeal, and in a few cases the tariff was treated differently or the person was released only for very limited circumstances.
- Ministers still control how some releases happen in compassionate situations, but they no longer decide when a life sentence should be paroled in general. The parole board’s decisions about parole are final unless court rulings change them.
How many people have had whole-life orders?
- Since 1983, roughly 100 people have been given whole-life orders in the United Kingdom. By 2023, it was believed that more than 70 prisoners were still serving whole-life sentences in England and Wales. Some of these prisoners have died in custody, and others had their tariffs reduced on appeal.
Notable examples (highlights)
- Rosemary West and Lucy Letby are among the better-known women to have whole-life tariffs.
- Harold Shipman (the “Dr. Death”) and other infamous male prisoners have also received whole-life orders.
- The Moors murders pair, Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, were given whole-life tariffs (Brady died in 2017; Hindley died in 2002).
- Other famous cases include Jeremy Bamber, Dennis Nilsen, Peter Sutcliffe (the Yorkshire Ripper), Levi Bellfield, Wayne Couzens, and Lucy Letby.
- Some very high-profile cases have seen tariffs adjusted or reviews granted after appeals or changes in law, while others remained with a life sentence that could not be released.
What happens if a tariff is challenged?
- Tariffs can be reviewed by the courts. In some cases, tariffs have been reduced after appeal, and in others the whole-life status was upheld or retained. The process can involve complex legal arguments about safety, risk, and rehabilitation.
Why this matters
- A whole-life order is meant to ensure that the most dangerous criminals cannot be released back into society.
- The system has evolved from ministerial decisions to judicial decisions, with ongoing reviews and appeals shaping how long a prisoner must stay behind bars.
In brief
- A whole-life order means never being released. It began in 1983 and shifted to judge-made decisions after 2002. Around 100 such orders have been issued, with more than 70 inmates believed to still be serving them as of recent years. Notable cases include some of Britain’s most infamous criminals, and several tariffs have been reduced or challenged over time through the courts.
This page was last edited on 29 January 2026, at 00:36 (CET).