Published Monday, 18 June 2012
Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton were sentenced in May for the murder (© Pacemaker)
John Paul Wootton, who was 17 when the policeman was gunned down in Craigavon in 2009, was sentenced to spend 14 years behind bars in May, while former Sinn Féin councillor Brendan McConville, 40, was jailed for a minimum of 25 years.
Constable Carroll's widow described the jail term handed down to Wootton as "disgusting".
Kate Carroll said she believed it was not a deterrent for other young people being lured into terrorist activity.
Days after the sentencing, Lord Justice Girvan said he was "bound and obligated" to operate within a framework which laid down "special rules" for sentencing anyone under 18 at the time of committing a murder.
A statement released by the PPS on Monday said the Director of Public Prosecutions, Barra McGrory QC "sought leave to refer the sentences imposed on both John Paul Wootton and Brendan McConville to the Court of Appeal on the ground that the sentences are unduly lenient".
Last month it was revealed that Mr McGrory was considering the jail term given to John Paul Wootton following Ms Carroll's remarks.
"Fourteen years for a life is dreadful - I've got a life sentence ahead of me, so he should too," she told UTV at the time of sentencing.
The review of the sentences given to Wootton and McConville can only be carried out by the Court of Appeal, and must be referred by the DPP.
In England and Wales guidelines dictate the minimum term for killing a police officer is 30 years, while in the Republic, anyone found guilty of murdering a Garda officer can face a minimum of 40 years behind bars.
In Northern Ireland sentencing is at the discretion of the court, but earlier this month the Justice Minister said he intended to review the "legislation governing the setting of starting tariffs for murder where the court has passed a life sentence".
David Ford said the reassessment would "include, but not be limited to, the murder of police officers" and was being undertaken following "strong public reaction to the sentence".
Constable Carroll, 48, was the first PSNI member to be killed by dissident republicans since the force replaced the RUC. Two days before his death, Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar were gunned down at Massereene Army barracks.