life Imprisonment Overview
Vic, ACT: No
| Jurisdiction (link to details) | Life imprisonment | Minimum to serve before eligibility for requesting parole | Maximum length of sentence (under life) | Indefinite sentence (excl. preventive or psychiatric detainment) | Mandatory sentence | Other crimes with possible life sentence | Under age of 18 (or 21) | Pardon, amnesty, other release | Death penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | Yes | Federal: For terrorism and treason offences: 22.5 years. State laws vary. | None | Yes See also: Immigration detention in Australia | Yes; for murder in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory; for murder of police officer in New South Wales | Federal: State laws vary. | Federal, NSW, QLD, WA, SA, Tas, NT: Yes; | Federal: By governor general NSW, Vic, QLD, WA, SA, Tas, ACT, NT: by statute | No |
 Austria | Yes | 15 years (Imprisonment for a definite period) or never (Imprisonment for lifetime, when clemency is rejected by president) | None | Yes | Genocide | Murder, high level drug dealing, Nazi activism, production or distribution of chemical warfare agents to be used in armed conflict; abduction, robbery, rape and statutory rape if the crime causes the victim's death, sea and air piracy and arson if the crime causes the death of a large number of people |
| By president | No (abolished in 1968) |
 Azerbaijan | Yes, but only for men aged 18–65 | 25 years | 15 years for a single murder (up to 20 years for several crimes) | No | None | Crimes against the state, war crimes | 14–17: max. 10 years' imprisonment | By president | No |
 Belgium | Yes | 15 years (no previous conviction or below 3 years), 19 years (previous conviction below 5 years), or 23 years (previous conviction 5 years or more) | None | No | None | Murder |
| Parole by Conditional Release Commission or pardon by monarch | No |
 Brazil | No | Varies, depending on sentence | 40 years | No | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No | No life imprisonment sentence | Yes, but only in times of war |
 Bulgaria | Yes | 20 years or never | None | Yes | None | Aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, treason, espionage, war crimes, genocide, desertion in wartime |
| By president | No |
 Canada | Yes | 25 years for first-degree murder or high treason; 10 years minimum for second-degree murder. 7–25 years for any other offence where the maximum penalty is life imprisonment. | None | Yes | High treason, first-degree murder, second-degree murder | Various crimes including attempted murder, aircraft hijacking, armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, conspiracy to murder and most offenses resulting in death |
| Yes, but only through royal prerogative of mercy | No (abolished in 1976) |
 People's Republic of China | Yes | 13 years of the original sentence having been actually served. Never in extremely serious corruption cases. | 13 for a single murder if it is the perpetrator's first offence. 15–20 for a single murder that is the perpetrator's second offence if he/she serves the sentence with good behaviour | No | No | Various | Yes | By courts and by president | Yes |
 Croatia | No | Varies, depending on sentence | 40 years | No | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence |
| No life imprisonment sentence | No (abolished in 1991) |
 Czech Republic | Yes |
| 30 years | No | None | Some cases of murder, public endangerment, treason, terrorism, genocide, crimes against humanity, use of forbidden combat device or forbidden combat tactics, war crimes, persecution of population, misuse of international symbols | 15–18: max. 10 years' imprisonment | By president | No |
 Denmark | Yes | 12 years | none | Yes | No | Treason, espionage during wartime, use of force against the parliament, terrorism, arson under circumstances that are life-threatening, hijacking of vehicles, willful release of nuclear substances, murder |
| After 12 years entitled to request to minister of justice; granted by monarch | No |
 Estonia | Yes | 30 years | None | Yes (de facto) | None | Some cases of murder, some cases of handling drugs, crimes against humanity, genocide, acts of war against civilians, terrorism, violence against the independence of Estonia, causing an explosion using nuclear energy | Maximum length 10 years. Under 14 cannot be criminally prosecuted. | Pardon by president[citation needed] | No |
 Finland | Yes | 12 years for court release; any time for presidential pardon | None | Yes | Murder | High treason, espionage, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, homicidal terrorist act, crime against peace |
| By president, Helsinki Court of Appeal | No |
 Germany | Yes (for adults between 18 and 21 only if tried as adults) |
| None | No | Aggravated murder, genocide resulting in death, crimes against humanity resulting in death, war crimes against persons resulting in death |
| By federal president or minister-president | No (abolished in West Germany by the Constitution since 23 May 1949; abolished by law in West Germany in 1953 and in East Germany in 1987) | |
 Guinea-Bissau | No | Varies, depending on sentence | ?? | No | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No |
 Ireland | Yes | 12 years | None | No | Murder, treason | Manslaughter, rape, aggravated sexual assault, committing a sexual act on a child less than 15 years of age, assault causing serious harm, syringe attacks, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, certain drugs offences, and other common law offences where the maximum penalty is life imprisonment |
| By president | No |
 Lebanon | Yes | 10 years | None | No | Aggravated murder, terrorism, treason | Rape | Yes | By president | Yes |
 Lithuania | Yes | 25 years | None | Yes | None | Genocide, prohibited mistreatment of persons under international law, war crimes, crimes against humanity, prohibited military attack, attempted assassination of the president of Lithuania, attempted assassination of a governmental official or foreign official, murder with aggravated circumstances, murder of persons protected under international humanitarian law, terrorism resulting in death, piracy (hijacking of a civilian aircraft or civilian vessel) that results in death or otherwise has grave consequences to the safety of others |
| By president | No (abolished in 1998) |
 Macau, China | No | Varies, depending on sentence | 25 years (30 in exceptional circumstances) | No | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No |
 Mexico | No (except in Chihuahua for murder involving kidnapping) | Varies, depending on sentence | 24 years (74 years if convicted of murder involving kidnapping); in the state of Chihuahua, murder involving kidnapping provides for a mandatory life sentence | No | Murder involving kidnapping | None | ?? | ?? | No |
 Netherlands | Yes | Never | None | Yes | None | Murder, aggravated manslaughter, various crimes against the Dutch state, attacks on the monarch, crimes with a terrorist motive, and leading a terrorist organization in especially serious circumstances |
| After 25 years served, the Advisory College for the Lifelong Incarcerated reviews whether a return into society is advisable, but only a pardon by royal decree from the monarch can rescind a life sentence. | No |
 Nigeria | Yes | Never | None | Yes | ?? | ?? |
| ?? | Yes |
 Norway | Life imprisonment only under military criminal code | No life imprisonment | Maximum sentence 21 years with possibility to renew the sentence in exceptional cases | No | ?? | ?? |
| ?? | No (Fully abolished in 1979, constitutional ban since 2014) |
 Poland | Yes | Any minimum term from 30 to 50 years or never; individually set by the judge | 30 years | No | None | Treason, assassination of Polish president, war of aggression, genocide, crimes against humanity, unlawful use of weapon of mass destruction, war crimes, murder, homicide and serious bodily harm resulting in death |
| Pardon by president | No (abolished during peacetime in 1998 and under all circumstances in 2014) |
 Romania | Yes | 20 years | None | No; replaced by 25 years' imprisonment at age 60 | Genocide during wartime, inhumane treatment during wartime | Treason and other grave crimes against the state, extremely grave murder, capitulation, desertion on the battlefield, crimes against peace or humanity | under 18: max. 20 years' imprisonment | Pardon by president, amnesty by act of parliament | No |
 Singapore | Yes | 20 years | None | Yes, for offenders of unsound mind; see also: The President's Pleasure (Singapore) | Yes; for certain offences, including possession of firearms at time of arrest for any offence, hijacking of aircraft and piracy | Murder (if no intent to cause death), drug trafficking (if acted as couriers or mentally ill), culpable homicide not amounting to murder (manslaughter), kidnapping by ransom, criminal breach of trust by a public servant, voluntarily causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons, and trafficking of firearms and more than 30 other offences |
| Clemency by the President of Singapore | Yes |
 Slovakia | Yes; only if necessary to protect society and given the convict is unlikely to be rehabilitated | 25 years | None | Yes | Aggravated murder, genocide, terrorism, war crimes, recidivism of certain aggravated offenses | Under certain, aggravated conditions (usually causing death): crimes against humanity, drug trafficking, human trafficking, child trafficking, false imprisonment, hostage taking, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, domestic violence, kidnapping, public endangerment, air/sea piracy, treason, sabotage, espionage, assaulting a public official |
| By president | No |
 Slovenia | Yes | 25 years | None | Yes | Murder | Terrorism, drug offenses, crimes against humanity |
| By president | No |
 Spain | Yes | 18 to 22 years for furlough, 25 to 35 years for parole, depending on the number of crimes and the crimes themselves | 30 years | Yes |
|
| No | By Cabinet | No |
 Sweden | Yes |
| None | Yes | None | Murder, kidnapping, arson, sabotage, dangerous destruction of property, hijacking, espionage, terror crimes, rebellion, endangering the public health by spread of contagion or poison, disloyalty when negotiating with foreign powers, trading in anti-personnel mines, cluster bombs or chemical or nuclear weapons, unlawful nuclear explosion, treason, genocide; in wartime only: mutiny, insubordination, undermining the will to fight, desertion, unauthorised capitulation, negligence of war preparations and negligence of battle duty; attempts, accessories, accomplices and incitements of all the above crimes might also be punished with life imprisonment. |
| By the district court of Örebro (parole hearing) or by the government (pardon) | No |
 Switzerland | Yes | 10 years or 15 years; individually set by judge | None | Yes | None | Aggravated murder, aggravated hostage-taking, genocide, endangering the independence of the country |
| By Federal Assembly (Parliament) | No |
 Taiwan | Yes | 25 years | None | No |
| By president | Yes | ||
 United Kingdom:   England and Wales | Yes | 15 years or longer (maximum of whole life order), but individually set by judge. A whole life order means life without parole (e.g. natural life in prison until death). However, there is, at least in theory, a possibility of release of prisoners serving such sentences, as the Secretary of State for Justice has the power to release on licence any life sentence prisoner on compassionate grounds in exceptional circumstances. | None | Imprisonment for public protection – abolished in 2012 but offenders already serving that sentence remain in prison. Persons under 18 years of age may be sentenced to detention at His Majesty's pleasure for an indeterminite period. | Murder and treason | Rape, armed robbery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, manslaughter, attempted murder, soliciting murder, threats to kill, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, malicious wounding, using chloroform etc., maliciously administering poison, abandoning children, other serious crimes and other common law offences where the maximum penalty is life imprisonment. | No, but offenders under 18 can be sentenced to detention for an indeterminate period. Whole life orders cannot be given to offenders under 21. | Amnesty by royal decree (by means of the royal prerogative of mercy) alone or with act of Parliament | No |
United Kingdom:  Scotland | Yes | Individually set by judge | Between 17 and 30 years for a single murder without any additional circumstances | Yes | Murder with additional circumstances, two or more murders, attempted murder, two or more counts rape | Any other common law offence | {{plainlist|
| Compassionate release by cabinet secretary for justice (Scottish government); amnesty by royal decree (by means of the royal prerogative of mercy) alone or with act of Parliament | No |
| United Kingdom: Northern Ireland | Yes | Individually set by judge | None | No | Murder, rape | Robbery | ?? | General release through a referendum-based agreement in 1998 (became applicable in three cases: i, ii, iii). The royal prerogative of mercy or an act of the UK Parliament (in accordance with the principle of parliamentary sovereignty) can be used to grant amnesty like the rest of the UK. | No |
 United States | Yes (except in Alaska) | Varies by state | Varies by state; 99 years in Alaska | Yes | Varies by state | Varies by state | Yes (de jure) | By president or governor of a state (depending on jurisdiction) | Yes (depending on state) |
 Uruguay | No | Varies, depending on sentence | 45 years | No | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No life imprisonment sentence | No |