Ireland approves bill allowing judges to recommend minimum jail terms for life imprisonment cases.

Ireland's government has approved a bill allowing judges to recommend minimum jail terms for those sentenced to life imprisonment. The Life Sentences Bill 2024 proposes judges will make a recommendation on the minimum term a prisoner should serve before parole is considered. The Parole Board must take these recommendations into account, but they are non-binding, and the Parole Board retains the authority to decide when a prisoner will be released. The bill aims to strengthen the law in dealing with serious crimes and provide judges with a wider range of sentencing options.