The Parole Commissioners’ (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2021

Amendment of the Parole Commissioners’ Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009

2.  The Parole Commissioners’ Rules (Northern Ireland) 2009(1) (“the 2009 Rules”) are amended as follows—

(1) In rule 22 (Location and privacy of oral hearings) paragraph (3) for “Information” substitute “Subject to rule 22A, information”.

(2) After rule 22 insert—

“ Information about proceedings

22A.— (1) Where a registered victim or other person makes a request for a summary of the reasons for a provisional direction of a single Commissioner recorded under rule 13(2)(b) that has become final by virtue of rule 13(6), the single Commissioner must produce a summary of the reasons for that direction, unless the Commissioner considers that there are exceptional circumstances why a summary should not be produced for disclosure.

(2) The single Commissioner is not required to produce a summary under paragraph (1) where the request is made more than 6 months after the date when the direction under rule 13(2)(b) became final.

(3) Other than those of the parties, the names of persons concerned in proceedings under Rule 13(2) must not be disclosed under paragraph (1) except insofar as the single Commissioner directs.

(4) Where a registered victim or other person makes a request for a summary of the reasons for a decision recorded after oral proceedings under rule 24(2), the relevant panel must produce a summary of the reasons for that decision unless the chairman of that panel considers that there are exceptional circumstances why a summary should not be produced for disclosure.

(5) The relevant panel is not required to produce a summary under paragraph (4) where the request is made more than 6 months after the date of the decision.

(6) Other than those of the parties, the names of persons concerned in oral proceedings under these Rules must not be disclosed under paragraph (4) except insofar as the chairman of the relevant panel directs.

(7) This rule does not affect the operation of rule 9 (Non-disclosure of confidential information).

(8) For the purposes of this rule, “registered victim” means a person who is registered or entitled to receive information under any of—

(a) the Prisoner Release Victim Information (Northern Ireland) Scheme 2003(2);

(b) the Probation Board for Northern Ireland Victim Information Scheme 2005(3);

(c) the Victims of Mentally Disordered Offenders Information (Northern Ireland) Scheme 2008(4).”.

(1)

S.I. 2009 No. 82 (N.I.) to which there are amendments which are not relevant to these Rules.

(2)

S.R. 2003 No. 293.

(3)

S.R. 2005 No. 432.

(4)

S.R. 2008 No. 457.