Under the new WA murder sentencing scheme (Criminal Code s 279, Sentencing Act s 90), sentencing dispositions under the previous legislative scheme remain of some assistance but the sentencing discretion is no longer constrained by the rigid ranges that previously applied to wilful murder and murder. The removal of the upper limit on non-parole periods and the consolidation of wilful murder into murder may result in higher non-parole periods for the most serious offending. A minimum non-parole period of 25 years was upheld for a premeditated, savage murder of a pregnant woman committed for the purpose of preventing the birth of the offender's child.
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