Life imprisonment is applicable only to defendants aged 11 or over. Those aged between 11 and 20 are sentenced to custody for life. Those aged under 18 are sentenced to detention during Her Majesty's pleasure for murder, or detention for life for other crimes for which life imprisonment is the sentence for adults; however, regardless of age all defendants including those under 18 sentenced to a life sentence can theoretically be held in custody for their whole life if required and a life sentence can only end if quashed by a judge or the person serving the sentence dies.