Sir, – Dr Diarmuid Griffin makes valid points about the pros and cons of mandatory life sentences in the case of murder ("No incentive for murder accused to plead guilty", Opinion & Analysis, April 17th). He rightly points out that a person charged with murder will most likely "contest their guilt through trial by jury" as they have nothing to lose.
However, without mandatory life sentences, I fear that we would begin to see “light” sentences handed down in the cases of murder when so-called “mitigating circumstances” were taken into account. In lesser crimes some of these mitigating circumstances have included persons simply admitting (sometimes belatedly) to their crime. Yes, there is much trauma involved in a contested trial but, in my view, mandatory sentencing is appropriate for the most heinous crime that one can commit. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BELLEW,
Dunleer, Co Louth.