Editing Murder (section)

===Aggravating circumstances===
Murder with specified [[aggravation (law)|aggravating circumstances]] is often punished more harshly. Depending on the jurisdiction, such circumstances may include:
* Premeditation
* Poisoning
* [[Lying in wait]]
* [[Child murder|Murder of a child]]
* Murder committed during [[sexual assault]]
* Murder committed during [[kidnapping]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/lxii/630/630-1.htm | title=Section 630:1 Capital Murder }}</ref>
* Multiple murders committed within one criminal transaction or in different transactions as part of one broader scheme
* Murder of a police officer,<ref name="Murder English law">See [[Murder (English law)]].</ref><ref name="NSW (of Australia) Law">{{cite Legislation AU|NSW|act|ca190082|Crimes Act 1900|19B}} Mandatory life sentences for murder of police officers.</ref> judge, firefighter or witness to a crime<ref>See [[Murder (United States law)]].</ref>
* Murder of a pregnant woman<ref>See [[Murder (Romanian law)]].</ref>
* Crime committed for pay or other reward, such as [[contract killing]]<ref>See [[Murder (Brazilian law)]].</ref>
* Exceptional brutality or cruelty, such as that employed in [[torture murder]]
* The use of excessive or gratuitous violence beyond that which is necessary to kill; [[Overkill (term)|overkill]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review - Publication and Interim Response |url=https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-03-20/hlws634 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=questions-statements.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>
* Murder committed by an offender previously convicted of murder
* Methods which are dangerous to the public<ref>Criminal Code of Russia art.105 p.2"e"</ref> e.g. explosion, arson, shooting in a crowd etc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_21893/#dst100022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018134419/http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_21893/|url-status=dead|title=Постановление Пленума Верховного Суда РФ от 27.01.1999 N 1 (ред. от 03.03.2015) "О судебной практике по делам об убийстве (ст. 105 УК РФ)" \ КонсультантПлюс|archivedate=October 18, 2015|website=www.consultant.ru}}</ref>
* Murder for a political cause<ref name="Murder English law"/><ref name="paroleireland">{{cite web|title=Parole Board of Ireland|url=http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/prison_system/parole_board_of_ireland.html|website=Citizens Information Board|publisher=Parole Board of Ireland|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017231027/http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/prison_system/parole_board_of_ireland.html|archive-date=2014-10-17}}</ref>
* Murder committed in order to conceal another crime or facilitate its commission.<ref>Criminal Code of Russia art.105 p.2"k"</ref>
* Murder committed in order to obtain material gain, for example to obtain an inheritance<ref>{{cite web | url=https://law.justia.com/codes/utah/2006/title76/76_05028.html | title=2006 Utah Code - 76-5-202 — Aggravated murder }}</ref>
* [[Hate crimes]], which occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their perceived membership in a certain social group.
* Treachery (e.g. ''[[:de:Heimtücke|Heimtücke]]'' in [[Murder in German law|German law]])

In the United States and Canada, these murders are referred to as [[first degree murder|first-degree]] or [[aggravation (law)|aggravated]] murders.<ref name="murdercanada">{{cite web|title=Classification of murder|url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-231.html|website=Justice Laws Website|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=10 September 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925090055/http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-231.html|archive-date=25 September 2015}}</ref> Under [[English criminal law]], [[Murder in English law|murder]] always carries a mandatory [[Life imprisonment in England and Wales|life sentence]], but is not classified into degrees. Penalties for murder committed under aggravating circumstances are often higher under English law than the 15-year minimum non-parole period that otherwise serves as a starting point for a murder committed by an adult.