终身监禁 vs 无期徒刑

[Scoobyqueen]

Is there a difference between these two idioms? ie is one more formal than the other or can they be used interchangeably?

[Jim]

I think the first is what in the UK we used to call a 'whole life tariff' (the judge suggests you never be released - fell at a legal challenge in UK) versus being sentenced to be held 'at Her Majesty's pleasure' (no fixed date for release but you will come up for parole at some point). So while both are life sentences, not completely interchangeable. This Baidu answer says there are two types of 终身监禁, one with possibility of parole, one without.

[Jane_PA]

I don't see the difference... but I am not a law person. They might be different in law terms.

[SiMaKe]

The US also distinguishes life with and without parole.

If I read it correctly, the Baidu information suggested that China does not have life without parole (or at least doesn't implement it). Does that mean it's either "with parole" or death?

@Scoobyqueen

Did you do something that has given you cause for concern? :rolleyes:

[Jim]

I'm no law person either, Jane, but the difference seems to be that in one a term is set (rest of your life) and in the other no term is set - so it might be the rest of your life though quite likely it won't be if you're deemed safe to release. Of course, if there's possibility of parole in the first one, the distinction looks semantic at best but there does seem to be a different sentencing principle being applied.

[skyvia]

终身监禁 means that you have to stay in the prison until you are dead ,无期徒刑 ,which can be changed into limited imprisonment if you reshape yourself well in the prison .

[kong]

skyvia is right,the first one is usually used in countries which there's no death penalty,but if there's death penalty in the country ,they use 无期徒刑，which usually can be changed into limited imprisonment,it often happen in China.

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