Woolf denies freeing Bulger killers

Venables and Thompson's cases were reviewed by Lord Woolf

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, has rejected claims he was directly responsible for the early release of James Bulger's killers.

Lord Woolf said the final decision on when Jon Venables and Robert Thomson should be set free was made by the home secretary under his recommendations.

His comments follow the attorney general's decision to demand an explanation from the Manchester Evening News (MEN) over an article revealing details of Thompson and Venables' whereabouts.

It could lead to contempt proceedings if the paper is found to be in breach of an injunction protecting the identities of the boy's killers.

Lord Woolf has clarified his role in the release of Thompson and Venables in a statement.

I have to recommend the tariff to the Home Secretary who had agreed to act on my recommendations

Lord Woolf

He said: "It is my task to review the tariffs of defendants found guilty of murder who were under 18 years of age when they committed the offence and who are therefore ordered to be detained during Her Majesty's Pleasure.

'Case decided on its merit'

"I review each application on its individual merit.

"I have to recommend the tariff (which is the time to be served for the purposes of retribution and deterrence) to the Home Secretary who had agreed to act on my recommendations.

It is the minimum amount of time a detainee must serve before the Parole Board may consider the case. I do this after the papers are received from the Prison Service."

Lord Woolf: advised the Home Secretary

He dismissed reports that he would be reviewing the cases of 67 other juvenile killers' sentences as "quite wrong".

Lord Woolf said he had set aside a week in August to deal with further cases and was awaiting the relevant paper work from the Prison Service.

He denied speculation by the media that considering any such appeals would immediately lead to the release of offenders.

To date he has received three sets of papers from the Prison Service and has reviewed the tariffs in each case.

In two cases the Parole Board has granted early release but not, so far, in the third case.

Newspaper investigation

The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, wrote to the MEN on Monday demanding an explanation for what he believes to be a breach of an injunction guaranteeing the anonymity of the Bulger killers.

A spokesman for Lord Goldsmith said that in the department's opinion, an article which appeared in the newspaper last Friday broke the High Court injunction.

He said: "We have decided to go ahead and ask them for legal representations as to why, in our opinion, they have breached the injunction.

"We have asked them for representations about why they did what they did.

"We are hoping to hear back from them as soon as possible."

If the attorney general is not satisfied by the newspaper's explanation, he could refer the case to the High Court for contempt of court proceedings.

The newspaper has said it "would never knowingly breach an injunction" but prompted concern when it printed information concerning the whereabouts of Thompson and Venables.

Strict guidelines restricting media coverage of the pair, now aged 18, were imposed by the High Court in January to protect them from revenge attacks.

Last Friday the Parole Board cleared the way for their release after eight years and four months in custody.