The British Government has said there will be changes in the way juveniles are treated by the legal system. The move follows today's ruling by the European court of Human Rights, that the child killers of Liverpool toddler Jamie Bulger, did not receive a fair trial in 1993. However there has been no indication if the boys' 15 year sentence will be reduced.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the boys who killed Liverpool toddler Jamie Bulger in 1993 did not receive a fair trial. The Court also ruled that the role of the then British Home Secretary in fixing their sentences was also a breach of their human rights. However, this afternoon the British Home Secretary indicated that there will be no immediate review of the case. The judges rejected a claim that the boys' treatment was inhuman and degrading. Lawyers for Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, who were both 11 at the time of the trial, claimed the adult court venue and publicity surrounding the hearing infringed their rights.
The Court ruled that the role of the then British Home Secretary, Michael Howard, in fixing their jail terms was also a breach of their human rights. Mr Howard had raised the minimum time to be served by the boys, now aged 17, from the eight years set by the trial judge to 15 years. The judges at the European Court of Human Rights awarded costs and expenses of £15,000 to Robert Thompson and £29,000 to Jon Venables.
Although the court cannot overturn the boys' convictions or order their release, the British Government could be obliged to alter practices deemed to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. The British government has said it accepts the ruling by the European Court. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, said he needed to study the details of the ruling to evaluate its implications for the way minors accused of serious crimes are dealt with in future.
