Justice written question – answered at on 15 October 2009.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours of time spent by (a) judges and (b) lay members were allocated to Parole Board oral hearings in respect of prisoners on (i) whole life tariffs and (ii) other sentences in each of the last five years.
The Parole Board does not record the number of hours spent on oral hearings by individual members as members (other than serving judges) are paid a set fee for each hearing they attend. The average three member oral hearing day starts at 10.30am and finishes at 5 p.m. with an average of two cases being heard. This does not take into account the time spent by members reading papers in advance of the hearing day and writing detailed decision letters after the hearing. Most three member oral hearing panels are chaired by a judge with a psychiatrist or psychologist when necessary and an independent member.
Judges are expected to allocate 15 days a year to Parole Board work, independent members 2.5 days per week and specialist members 35 days a year. The total number of three member oral hearings cases considered over the past five years is as follows:
Number | |
2004-05 | 1,341 |
2005-06 | 1,512 |
2006-07 | 1,831 |
2007-08 | 2,072 |
2008-09 | 2,330 |
Whole life tariff cases are not referred to the Parole Board.
Yes0 people think so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.