CCRC refers long-running IPP case to the Crown Court after new legal guidance
The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred the case of a man serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) to the Crown Court, following developments in recent case law concerning young offenders.
The decision, announced on 24 April 2026, relates to Liam Bennett, who was sentenced in 2007 after being convicted of multiple offences including arson, burglary and criminal damage. He was 17 at the time of the offences and 18 at the time of conviction.
Mr Bennett received an indeterminate sentence of detention for public protection, later recorded as imprisonment for public protection, with a minimum term of two years and 82 days. He remains in custody 19 years after sentencing. The CCRC said it had identified a real possibility that the Crown Court, applying current legal guidance, would not impose the same sentence today and could amend it.
The referral follows recent rulings by the Court of Appeal in cases involving the Leighton Williams case, Darren Hilling case and the Steven Sillitto case. In those cases, the court quashed indeterminate sentences imposed on young offenders, finding that insufficient weight had been given to their age and maturity.
The Court of Appeal emphasised that maturity should be assessed in terms of emotional and developmental factors, rather than solely biological age. Mr Bennett previously appealed his sentence unsuccessfully in 2009. However, the CCRC noted that this earlier decision was made before the development of more recent judicial guidance.
Indeterminate sentences for public protection were introduced under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and were designed for offenders considered dangerous. Similar sentences, known as detention for public protection, applied to those under 18.
Both sentencing regimes were abolished in 2012. However, individuals already subject to these sentences remain bound by their terms. The referral forms part of a wider review by the CCRC into IPP and DPP cases involving young offenders. The commission has been examining the potential impact of recent appellate decisions on similar cases.
CCRC Chair Vera Baird said the organisation’s work reflects the need for careful consideration when sentencing young people. She noted that recent judgments provide an opportunity to reassess cases where individuals may have received sentences that are now considered disproportionate.
The Court of Appeal recently quashed the sentences of six IPP and DPP prisoners, including three cases referred by the CCRC, involving individuals convicted as young adults more than 15 years ago. The case will now be considered by the Crown Court, which will determine whether Mr Bennett’s sentence should be altered in light of current legal standards.