British Home Secretary John Reid announced plans today to toughen sentencing guidelines following mounting public anger at a judicial system perceived as being too soft on serious criminals.
His announcement follows several high-profile murder and sexual assault cases committed by offenders released early from prison.
Under the proposals announced to the House of Commons, dangerous prisoners will lose the right to qualify for parole half way through their sentence. Offenders caught red-handed would also lose the right to have their sentences cut by a third if they plead guilty and tougher sentences will be given to violent offenders.
"The overriding and primary aim of this review is to ensure that the criminal justice system is geared at every stage to protecting the public and putting the interests of the law-abiding majority and the victim first," Mr Reid said.
"Too often it appears that the criminal justice system is on the side of the offender, protecting their interests and individual rights over those of the victims and the law abiding majority. That has to change.
"I do not regard this as a matter of just being tougher or softer but it is about being fairer and smarter and above all, better protecting the public against serious offenders."
Sentencing guidelines and parole procedures were thrust under the spotlight last year after the murders of London financier John Monckton and Reading teenager Mary-Ann Leneghan by people released early from jail.
They came under further question when a report said too much attention had been paid to the human rights of a prisoner who was freed on parole and went on to murder a 40-year-old mother in Winchester in May.
Then, last month, a public outcry followed the sentencing of paedophile Craig Sweeney, who was given a minimum term of just five years for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl after he pleaded guilty.
Mr Reid pressed for a review of that sentence which he said was unduly lenient, prompting accusations of political interference with the courts.
But after considering the case, British Attorney General Peter Goldsmith said he would not to try to increase the sentence because the judge had followed official guidelines.
Under existing laws, judges set a minimum term that life prisoners must serve before they can be considered for parole.
The length of the sentence is based on guidelines which take into account the gravity of the crime and whether the defendant pleaded guilty.
Mr Reid, who also announced the creation of 8,000 new prison places by 2012, said he would now consult with the Lord Chancellor and the Attorney General over how to proceed.
The new proposals announced by Mr Reid follow his statement yesterday to the House of Commons, outlining his plans to shake-up the beleaguered Home Office in a bid to regain some credibility for the department.
The sprawling office which handles security, prisons and immigration has been dogged by a string of scandals in recent months which have damaged the government's reputation and British Prime Minister Tony Blair's standing.