Peter Coonan has lost his appeal against the 1981 ruling that sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murders of 13 women.
Convicting Sutcliffe, as he was then called, the jury at the time rejected the partial defence of diminished responsibility and the judge sentenced him to a whole life term.
As was the practice at the time Mr Justice Boreham made a recommendation for the consideration of the secretary of state, proposing that in this case the minimum term should be 30 years before Coonan could be considered for parole.
The question was still being considered in 1997 when the then home secretary sought a recommendation from the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham.
In the end no decision was taken despit...
