Partner and ex murder cases could start at 25 years

If you read a headline about a 25-year sentence for murder, the first thing to clear up is this: in England and Wales, murder already carries a mandatory life sentence. As the Sentencing Council explains, what the court sets is the minimum term: the time that must be served in prison before the Parole Board can first consider release, with the life sentence continuing afterwards. (sentencingcouncil.org.uk) In an announcement on 30 June 2026, the Ministry of Justice said it wants people who murder a partner or ex-partner to face a 25-year starting point, closing what it describes as a 10-year gap in the current framework. (gov.uk)

At the moment, adult murder cases start from different legal points. A baseline 15 years applies in adult cases unless the murder falls into a more serious category, while 25 years applies when a knife or other weapon is taken to the scene with intent. The Sentencing Council and Ministry of Justice both make clear that these are starting points only, not fixed outcomes. (legislation.gov.uk) That detail matters because, under the current law, the Ministry of Justice says most domestic murders have fallen under the 15-year starting point, often because the killing happened in the home with a weapon that was already there rather than one brought to the scene. (gov.uk)

Why did that happen? The older framework placed special weight on bringing a weapon to the scene, a rule the Ministry of Justice previously described as recognising the seriousness of carrying and using knives in public. **What this means:** the law was not written as a special discount for domestic murder, but in practice it could leave partner and ex-partner killings starting lower than other murders. (legislation.gov.uk) That has become harder to defend as official thinking about domestic abuse has changed. A Ministry of Justice explanatory memorandum says society's understanding of domestic abuse has moved on, and that older murder sentencing rules did not properly reflect the abuse of trust, coercion and vulnerability often present in abusive relationships. (legislation.gov.uk)

The proposed change is straightforward in outline: murders of a partner or ex-partner would start at 25 years, so they are treated with the same seriousness as cases where a weapon was taken to the scene with intent, whether the killing happened at home or elsewhere. The Government says this is designed to close the 10-year gap now built into the framework. (gov.uk) But it is still important not to read 25 years as automatic. Judges would continue to weigh aggravating and mitigating factors, and official sentencing material says the final minimum term can move up or down from the starting point depending on the facts of the case. (legislation.gov.uk)

The safeguard is just as important as the headline change. The Ministry of Justice says that where a victim of domestic abuse kills their abuser, the existing 15-year baseline starting point will stay in place. That is meant to stop very different domestic cases being treated as though they are all the same. (gov.uk) This sits alongside earlier changes to Schedule 21 in England and Wales. Since 2024, a history of controlling or coercive behaviour by the perpetrator can count as an aggravating factor, controlling or coercive behaviour by the victim can count as a mitigating factor, and overkill can also push the minimum term higher. (legislation.gov.uk)

If you want the bigger picture, this reform is not only about years and tariffs. The Ministry of Justice says more than a fifth of all murders are domestic, and that women are overwhelmingly the victims. Ministers are presenting the measure as part of a wider pledge to halve violence against women and girls. (gov.uk) The Government also used the announcement to recognise campaigners. In the press release, David Lammy paid tribute to Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough, whose campaigning helped keep attention on how the law handles killings inside abusive or former intimate relationships. (gov.uk)

For now, this is a proposal rather than a change already in force. The Ministry of Justice says it must consult the Sentencing Council, bring the measure in as soon as possible, and publish further detail later, including how it would apply in cases involving children who murder. (gov.uk) There are also clear limits on reach. The new starting point would apply only to future murders after the law changes, not retrospectively, and the Government says it is acting before the Law Commission's broader review of homicide law and sentencing concludes in 2028. If you are trying to read the news carefully, that is the key takeaway: the legal direction is clear, but the final wording and start date still have to be settled. (gov.uk)