Release on licence, etc.

28Revocation of licences and conviction of prisoners on licence

(1)Where the Parole Board recommends the recall of any person who is subject to a licence under section 22 or 26 of this Act, the Secretary of State may revoke that person’s licence and recall him to prison.

(2)The Secretary of State may revoke the licence of any such person and recall him as aforesaid without consulting the Board, where it appears to him that it is expedient in the public interest to recall that person before such consultation is practicable.

(3)A person recalled to prison under the foregoing provisions of this section may make representations in writing with respect to his recall and shall on his return to prison be informed of the reasons for his recall and of his right to make such representations.

(4)The Secretary of State shall refer to the Parole Board the case of a person recalled under subsection (1) above who makes representations under the last foregoing subsection and shall in any event so refer the case of a person returned to prison after being recalled under subsection (2) above.

(5)Where the Board recommends the immediate release on licence of a person whose case is referred to it under this section, the Secretary of State shall give effect to the recommendation, and where it is necessary for that purpose to release that person under subsection (1) of section 26 of this Act, the Secretary of State shall do so without the consultation required by that subsection.

(6)If a person subject to a licence under section 60 or 61 of the [1967 c. 80.] Criminal Justice Act 1967 or section 22 or 26 of this Act is convicted by the High Court of Justiciary, or by a sheriff, whether summarily or on indictment, of an offence punishable on indictment with imprisonment, the court by which he is convicted may, whether or not it passes any other sentence on him, revoke the licence.

(7)On the revocation of the licence of any person under this section, he shall be liable to be detained in pursuance of his sentence, and, if at large, shall be deemed to be unlawfully at large.

(8)If, in the case of a person subject to a licence under section 60 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 (release on licence) or section 22 of this Act, a Crown Court or the High Court of Justiciary or a sheriff revokes that licence under section 62 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 or, as the case may be, under this section, the Secretary of State shall not thereafter release him under subsection (1) of the said section 22 before the expiration of the specified period from the date of revocation or before the expiration of one-third of the period during which the licence would have remained in force, whichever is the later; but the foregoing provision shall not affect any power to release him otherwise than under that subsection.

(9)In subsection (8) above, “the specified period” has the same meaning as in section 22(2) above.

(10)This section shall have effect, in its application to a person sentenced in England and Wales to detention in a young offender institution or sentenced to be detained under section 205(2) of the 1975 Act (punishment of person under 18 for murder), as if for any reference to a prison there were substituted a reference to any place in which that person was detained immediately before he was released on licence.

(11)This section shall have effect, in its application to a person sentenced to be detained under section 205(3), 207 or 415 of the 1975 Act (detention of young offenders) as if for any reference to a prison there were substituted a reference to a young offenders institution.