In June it emerged that the killers would probably never be transferred to an adult prison, but would remain in local authority care until they were 19. The pair would then be transferred to a young offenders' institution if they had not completed the minimum sentence which Lord Woolf, the Lord Chief Justice, is expected to announce imminently. At the time of their conviction, the trial judge at Preston Crown Court recommended a minimum sentence of eight years and the then Lord Chief Justice, the late Lord Taylor of Gosforth, suggested 10. The matter was referred to Lord Woolf by Home Secretary Jack Straw after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that it was wrong for former home secretary Michael Howard to have set a minimum sentence of 15 years. Lord Woolf has said that before making his decision he will consult James Bulger's family for their views.
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