A judge in the United Kingdom’s crown court sentenced a 25-year-old man to life in prison for fatally stabbing his grandfather, marking the court’s first-ever broadcast of a serious crime sentencing Thursday.
Judge Sarah Munro sentenced Ben Oliver to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and eight months without parole during the historic broadcast at London’s Old Bailey courthouse. The move was aimed at giving the public more insight into the criminal sentencing process. Oliver pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his 74-year-old grandfather, Ben Oliver, according to a press release.
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The decision to air certain sentences will remain open to the specific judge and only affects cases of the country’s most serious crimes. A law passed in 2020 aimed to allow more transparency in the sentencing of high-profile cases. However, the implementation of the new law was slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only the judge’s comments and sentencing are being televised to protect the identity and visibility of the victims, jurors, and witnesses, according to the Associated Press.
Filming was previously permitted for special appellate court hearings and Supreme Court hearings. However, the move to widen the broadcast topics was praised by government officials. Lord Ian Burnett, who serves as the lord chief justice of England and Wales, called it a “positive step forward,” according to the Independent, while Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the move will provide needed transparency in the court system.
“Opening up the courtroom to cameras to film the sentencing of some of the country’s most serious offenders will improve transparency and reinforce confidence in the justice system,” Raab said in a press release. “The public will now be able to see justice handed down, helping them understand better the complex decisions judges make.”
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The permitted sentences will be streamed on a YouTube channel by Sky News with a 10-second delay, according to the Independent.
