Draft:List of offences in England and Wales with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment

Dangerousness in law is a legal establishment of the risk that a person poses to cause harm

Application on sentencing dangerous offenders
In England and Wales, provisions within Part 10, Chapter 6 of the Sentencing Act 2020 provide a court powers for an offender to have an extended sentence or life sentence imposed on them, within certain circumstances.

Specified Offences
First and foremost, the offender has to have been convicted of a "specified offence". Section 306 of the Sentencing Act 2020 outlines these offences of being of a violent, sexual or terrorism offence.

This include inchoate offences under section 398 of the Sentencing Act 2020.

Defendant is deemed 'dangerous'
An offender is deemed 'dangerous' by an assessment made under section's 225 to 228 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. This assessment requires a court must take into account the nature and circumstance of the offence.

The court may take into account as prior convictions that the offender has, from a court in any place in the world, as well as information about a pattern of behaviour, including in which any offences, either the ones on trial or previously tried, have involved. Previous proceedings that could be taken into account are disciplinary proceedings or convictions if the person was part of the armed forces, or any civil proceedings.