This is a list of prisoners who have received a whole life order, formerly called a whole life tariff, through some mechanism in jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. From the introduction of the whole life order system in 1983 until an appeal by a prisoner named Anthony Anderson in 2002, a whole life order was set by government ministers. Thereafter only a judicial body could decide to impose such an order. The effect of a whole life order is that the prisoner serves the sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Whole life orders have been reportedly issued in approximately 100 cases since introduction in 1983, although some of these prisoners have since died in custody, or had their sentences reduced on appeal. By 2017, there were believed to be at least 75 prisoners currently serving whole life sentences in England and Wales. These include some of Britain's most notorious criminals, including the serial murderer Rosemary West. A number of these prisoners, including the "Yorkshire Ripper" Peter Sutcliffe and Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley have died in prison since being sentenced. There are also some prisoners, including police killer David Bieber, whose sentences have been reduced on appeal. Some of Britain's most notorious murderers are not among those serving whole life sentences. These include convicted child killers Roy Whiting and Ian Huntley. Both murderers have been issued 40-year minimum terms by the High Court, which means that they are likely to remain imprisoned for most if not all of their remaining lives, while many other prisoners are in a similar position due to the length of their minimum terms and the age they will be when they can be considered for parole. Nor was triple police killer Harry Roberts included in the list, despite media reports that he was among the prisoners subjected to this sentence. Roberts served 48 years prior to his release in 2014, after his trial judge in 1966 recommended a minimum sentence of 30 years. In the case of Roberts, the Parole Board, not the Home Secretary or a judge, were the entity responsible for his continued incarceration beyond the minimum. Other criminals such as David Copeland have had their an initial minimum sentences increased. His trial judge recommended a minimum of 30 years, but this was eventually increased to a minimum of 50 years by the High Court. Copeland can only be released after 50 years if considered not to be dangerous at that point. This is set to keep him imprisoned until at least 2049 and the age of 73. Several prisoners serving whole life sentences have challenged the legality of whole life sentences in the High Court or European Court of Human Rights. These include Jeremy Bamber and Gary Vinter, whose second legal challenge to the European Court of Human Rights was successful, although the High Court later ruled that whole life sentences could still be issued as long as they were reviewed within 25 years. Arthur Hutchinson has challenged his sentence at least four times in both the High Court and the European Court of Human Rights, but has been unsuccessful each time. Despite the fact that ministers can no longer set sentences they still retain the power to release a prisoner during their sentences on compassionate grounds, normally exercised only when a prisoner is terminally ill. Several months before ministers were stripped of their powers to set minimum sentences, the High Court also stripped ministers of their power to overrule the Parole Board's decision that a life sentence prisoner can be paroled. (en)