UK plans tougher punishment for partner or e partner murders, minimum term may rise to 25 years

Published 30 June 2026 · politics

UK govt announces plans to increase minimum sentence for most domestic murders Govt seeks to close ‘long overdue gap’ Campaign by victims’ families helped drive

UK govt announces plans to increase minimum sentence for most domestic murders Govt seeks to close ‘long overdue gap’ Campaign by victims’ families helped drive change Domestic abuse victims who kill abusers exempt Women remain disproportionately affected People convicted of murdering a current or former partner in their home could face an additional 10 years behind bars under proposed changes aimed at strengthening laws against violence against women.The UK government has announced plans to increase the minimum sentence for most domestic murders from 15 years to 25 years, bringing them in line with cases where offenders take a weapon to the scene with the intention to kill, BBC reported.Under existing sentencing rules in England and Wales, murders committed using a weapon already present at the scene — such as a kitchen knife in a family home — generally attract a lower starting point of 15 years.In contrast, offenders who bring a weapon to carry out a planned killing face a minimum term of 25 years before becoming eligible for parole.The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it intends to eliminate what campaigners have described as a major sentencing disparity, noting that more than one in five murders are domestic in nature and that women are overwhelmingly the victims.Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy said the legal system had historically failed to adequately protect women from violence within relationships.“For centuries, the law failed to protect women from violence at the hands of their partner — whether from marital rape or abuse behind closed doors,” Lammy said.“Whilst we've made significant progress, we need to continue righting these wrongs.

This change closes a long overdue gap and will ensure those who murder their partner face sentences that better reflect the devastating harm they cause.”The proposed reform will be introduced following consultation with the Sentencing Council.The announcement follows years of campaigning by mothers whose daughters were killed by former partners.Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough — whose daughters Ellie Gould, Poppy Devey-Waterhouse and Megan Newborough were murdered in separate domestic homicide cases — have long argued that the current sentencing framework undervalues the seriousness of killings committed within the home.In a joint statement issued through the charity Killed Women, they welcomed the move, saying it represented a significant step towards recognising the gravity of