Criminal Justice Act 2003

275 Duty to release certain life prisoners

(1) Section 28 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 (c. 43) (duty to release certain life prisoners) is amended as follows.

(2) For subsection (1A) there is substituted—

“(1A) This section applies to a life prisoner in respect of whom a minimum term order has been made; and any reference in this section to the relevant part of such a prisoner’s sentence is a reference to the part of the sentence specified in the order.”

(3) In subsection (1B)(a)—

(a) for the words from the beginning to “applies” there is substituted “this section does not apply to him”, and

(b) for the words from “such an order” to “appropriate stage” there is substituted “a minimum term order has been made in respect of each of those sentences”.

(4) After subsection (8) there is inserted—

“(8A) In this section “minimum term order” means an order under—

(a) subsection (2) of section 82A of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (determination of minimum term in respect of life sentence that is not fixed by law), or

(b) subsection (2) of section 269 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (determination of minimum term in respect of mandatory life sentence).”.