<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Life imprisonment has divergent meanings in various countries. With a focus on the issues related to life imprisonment in Canada, more specifically regarding the issue of the ‘hope to be released’ for the individuals serving a life sentence, the author assesses the legislation and some relevant, positive and negative, jurisprudential developments pertaining to life imprisonment in that context from a few countries, including Vietnam. The positive evolution that the Canadian jurisprudence witnessed in 2022 with respect to the eligibility for release of detainees serving a lifelong sentence could make Canada an interesting case study for Vietnam. This paper mainly relies on legal doctrinal research and comparative law by way of referring to the legislation and caselaw of a few different national jurisdictions for its analysis.</p>
</abstract>

Life imprisonment has divergent meanings in various countries. With a focus on the issues related to life imprisonment in Canada, more specifically regarding the issue of the ‘hope to be released’ for the individuals serving a life sentence, the author assesses the legislation and some relevant, positive and negative, jurisprudential developments pertaining to life imprisonment in that context from a few countries, including Vietnam. The positive evolution that the Canadian jurisprudence witnessed in 2022 with respect to the eligibility for release of detainees serving a lifelong sentence could make Canada an interesting case study for Vietnam. This paper mainly relies on legal doctrinal research and comparative law by way of referring to the legislation and caselaw of a few different national jurisdictions for its analysis.

Life Imprisonment in Canada: Is the “Hope” Lost?

Visiting Professor, Tashkent State University of Law

Adjunct Lecturer, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law

Vietnamese Journal of Legal Sciences

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Life Imprisonment in Canada: Is the \u201cHope\u201d Lost?"}

Life imprisonment has divergent meanings in various countries. With a focus on the issues related to life imprisonment in Canada, more specifically regarding...

Life Imprisonment in Canada: Is the “Hope” Lost?

Published Online: Jul 22, 2023

Page range: 78 - 98

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/vjls-2023-0004

Keywords
life imprisonment, life sentence, sentencing, Canada, Vietnam, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights

© 2023 Sébastien Lafrance, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Life Imprisonment in Canada: Is the “Hope” Lost?

Published Online: Jul 22, 2023

Page range: 78 - 98

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/vjls-2023-0004

Keywordslife imprisonment, life sentence, sentencing, Canada, Vietnam, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights

© 2023 Sébastien Lafrance, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
life imprisonment, life sentence, sentencing, Canada, Vietnam, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights