The move will place a legal expectation on judges to hand down whole life orders, except in extremely limited circumstances.

In the recent cases of murder victims Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa, their killers did not receive whole life orders.

Jordan McSweeney was imprisoned for life with a minimum of 38 years for the murder of Ms Aleena in Ilford. Koci Selamaj was handed life with a minimum of 36 years for murdering Ms Nessa in Greenwich.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I have shared the public’s horror at the cruelty of crimes we have seen recently. People rightly expect that in the most serious cases, there should be a guarantee that life will mean life. They expect honesty in sentencing.

“By bringing in mandatory whole life orders for the heinous criminals who commit the most horrific types of murder, we will make sure they never walk free.”

Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC said: “A whole life order will now be the expectation for murderers where the killing involves sexual or sadistic conduct.

“This important law change will ensure that the worst of the worst can now expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison.”