To a lay person, hearing that somebody has been sentenced to life imprisonment, it might appear that the prisoner will never be released. This will rarely be the case.
A life sentence is an indeterminate sentence.
The constitutionality of this particular indeterminate sentence was endorsed in Lynch v Minister for Justice [2010] IESC
McGarr Solicitors represent a client, in his challenge to a variety of indeterminate sentence, before the High Court, and will report the outcome of the case in due course.