UK to bar manslaughter convicts from early release scheme, keeping PC Harper's killers in custody

Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, told BBC Breakfast that the government will amend the early‑release provisions of the Sentencing Act to bar anyone convicted of manslaughter from benefiting from the scheme. The early‑release framework, introduced under the 2020 Sentencing Act, allows eligible prisoners to be considered for release after serving half of their custodial term, provided they meet certain criteria and are assessed as low risk. Burnham said the change is intended to reflect the seriousness of taking a life and to ensure that victims’ families see a proportionate response from the justice system.

The proposed amendment would place manslaughter alongside murder as offences excluded from automatic early release, meaning those sentenced for unlawful killing would have to serve their full term unless a separate parole decision is made. The move follows growing public and political pressure to tighten parole rules for violent crimes, and the Department for Justice is expected to draft the necessary legislative adjustments in the coming weeks. If enacted, the policy would apply across England and Wales, altering the release landscape for a category of offenders previously eligible for the scheme.