Anthony Anderson (murderer)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Anderson is a convicted British
murder
er.
He is most notable for successfully challenging the Home Secretary's
powers to set minimum terms for life sentence prisoners
. On 25 November 2002, the Law Lords ruled in favour of Anderson's claim that it was incompatible with human rights for politicians to set minimum terms for life sentence prisoners, and the next day the European Court of Human Rights
agreed with this decision, meaning that politicians in Europe
an countries can no longer decide the minimum length of imprisonment for anyone serving a life sentence. British politicians had been stripped of their powers to set minimum terms for prisoners aged under 18 after the High Court
ruled that Michael Howard
had acted unlawfully by deciding that the juvenile killers of toddler James Bulger
should spend at least 15 years in custody.
Anderson's successful challenge was a test case
which affected approximately 225 convicted British murderers who had been given recommended minimum terms at their trial, only for the term to be increased by the Home Secretary at a later date.
He had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988 on two charges of murder. His first victim was Thomas Walker, aged 60, who died in September 1986 after being punched and kicked by Anderson in a burglary. Anderson's next victim was 35-year-old Michael Tierney, who died in May 1987, having also been killed by Anderson in a burglary. The trial judge sentenced Anderson to life imprisonment and recommended that he should serve a minimum of 15 years before being considered for parole
, which would keep him in prison until at least 2003.
Six years after Anderson's trial, Home Secretary
Michael Howard
increased Anderson's minimum term to 20 years, meaning that he would now have to wait until at least 2008 before release could be even considered.
Anderson had tried to challenge the Home Secretary's tariff-setting powers earlier, but his first case in February 2001 failed.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
er.
He is most notable for successfully challenging the Home Secretary's
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
powers to set minimum terms for life sentence prisoners
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. On 25 November 2002, the Law Lords ruled in favour of Anderson's claim that it was incompatible with human rights for politicians to set minimum terms for life sentence prisoners, and the next day the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
agreed with this decision, meaning that politicians in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries can no longer decide the minimum length of imprisonment for anyone serving a life sentence. British politicians had been stripped of their powers to set minimum terms for prisoners aged under 18 after the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
ruled that Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
had acted unlawfully by deciding that the juvenile killers of toddler James Bulger
Murder of James Bulger
James Patrick Bulger was a boy from Kirkby, England, who was murdered on 12 February 1993, when aged two. He was abducted, tortured and murdered by two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables .Bulger disappeared from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, near Liverpool, while...
should spend at least 15 years in custody.
Anderson's successful challenge was a test case
Test case (law)
In case law, a test case is a legal action whose purpose is to set a precedent. An example of a test case might be a legal entity who files a lawsuit in order to see if the court considers a certain law or a certain legal precedent applicable in specific circumstances...
which affected approximately 225 convicted British murderers who had been given recommended minimum terms at their trial, only for the term to be increased by the Home Secretary at a later date.
He had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988 on two charges of murder. His first victim was Thomas Walker, aged 60, who died in September 1986 after being punched and kicked by Anderson in a burglary. Anderson's next victim was 35-year-old Michael Tierney, who died in May 1987, having also been killed by Anderson in a burglary. The trial judge sentenced Anderson to life imprisonment and recommended that he should serve a minimum of 15 years before being considered for parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
, which would keep him in prison until at least 2003.
Six years after Anderson's trial, Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
increased Anderson's minimum term to 20 years, meaning that he would now have to wait until at least 2008 before release could be even considered.
Anderson had tried to challenge the Home Secretary's tariff-setting powers earlier, but his first case in February 2001 failed.