Sir, – I note Diarmuid Griffin’s comments that “life” sentences for murder in Ireland have increased significantly over the past decade (“Why does ‘life’ now mean a much longer sentence?”, Opinion & Analysis, July 7th).
Killings of innocent people by drunken louts on our streets at night are viewed as “spur of the moment” events and the resulting manslaughter convictions carry sentences as low as three years in some cases. In this area, Ireland is indeed out of line with other jurisdictions. – Yours, etc,
GEORGE LAIRD,
Chemin de la Pinede,
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Mallemort,
France.