Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015

15 Minor amendments and transitional cases

(1) In section 82A(3) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (determination of tariffs for life sentences), for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) the effect that the following would have if the court had sentenced the offender to a term of imprisonment—

(i) section 240ZA of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (crediting periods of remand in custody);

(ii) section 246 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (equivalent provision for service courts);

(iii) any direction which the court would have given under section 240A of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (crediting periods of remand on bail subject to certain types of condition);”.

(2) In section 97 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (term of detention in a young offender institution)—

(a) in subsection (2), omit “Subject to subsection (3) below,” and

(b) omit subsection (3) (power to pass sentence of less than 21 days for offence under section 65(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991).

(3) In section 106(4) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (persons subject concurrently to detention and training order and sentence of detention in young offender institution), for “Part II of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (early release)” substitute “Chapter 6 of Part 12 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (release, licences, supervision and recall)”.

(4) In section 246(4) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (cases in which power to release before required to do so is not available), after paragraph (g) insert—

“(ga) the prisoner has at any time been released on licence under section 34A of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 and has been recalled to prison under section 38A(1)(a) of that Act (and the revocation of the licence has not been cancelled under section 38A(3) of that Act);”.

(5) In section 250 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (licence conditions), for subsection (5A) substitute—

“(5A) Subsection (5B) applies to a licence granted, either on initial release or after recall to prison, to a prisoner serving an extended sentence imposed under section 226A or 226B, other than a sentence that meets the conditions in section 246A(2) (release without direction of the Board).

(5B) The Secretary of State must not—

(a) include a condition referred to in subsection (4)(b)(ii) in the licence, either on release or subsequently, or

(b) vary or cancel any such condition included in the licence,

unless the Board directs the Secretary of State to do so.”

(6) In section 260(2B) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (early removal from prison of extended sentence prisoners liable to removal from United Kingdom), for “section 246A” substitute “this Chapter”.

(7) In Schedule 20A to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (application of Chapter 6 of Part 12 to pre-4 April 2005 cases), in paragraph 4 (modification of section 246: power to release before required to do so)—

(a) number the existing text as sub-paragraph (1),

(b) in that sub-paragraph, for “Section 246 applies as if, in subsection (4)” substitute “Section 246(4) applies as if—”,

(c) in that sub-paragraph, omit paragraph (c), and

(d) after that sub-paragraph insert—

“(2) Section 246(6) applies as if, in the definition of “term of imprisonment”, the reference to section 227 or 228 included a reference to section 85 of the Sentencing Act.”

(8) In Schedule 20B to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (modifications of Chapter 6 of Part 12 in certain transitional cases), omit paragraph 3(2)(a) (application of Part 2 of the Schedule to an extended sentence under section 85 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000).

(9) In paragraph 34 of that Schedule (licence conditions in certain transitional cases)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (1), at the end insert “and which was granted to a person serving—

(a) a 1967 Act sentence,

(b) a 1991 Act sentence, or

(c) a 2003 Act sentence which is an extended sentence imposed under section 227 or 228 before 14 July 2008.”, and

(b) in sub-paragraph (6)(a), after “condition” insert “referred to in section 250(4)(b)(ii)”.

(10) The amendments made by subsections (1), (3) and (4) apply in relation to a person sentenced before the day on which they come into force as well as in relation to a person sentenced on or after that day.