A starting point?

Merseyside Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe is reported by Radio 4's Toady programme to have criticised the Court system for not implementing the five year minimum sentence for carrying a firearm. A Ministry of Justice spokesman is reported to have said that "The mandatory five-year term for possession of a firearm is a starting point...Judges must then take aggravating and mitigating factors into consideration when determining the final sentence..."Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts.".

I don't remember these caveats were mentioned when the Home Secretary of the day was trying to look "tough on crime" for the Daily Mail.