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The Secretary of State, in pursuance of Article 4 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001[1] hereby makes the following rules - Title and commencement 1. These rules may be cited as the Life Sentence Review Commissioners' Rules 2001 and shall come into operation on 8th October 2001. Application and interpretation 2. - (1) Subject to rule 24, these rules apply where a prisoner's case is referred to the Commissioners by the Secretary of State under Article 6 or Article 9(4) of the Order. (2) In these rules, unless a contrary intention appears -
Appointment and functions of panels of Commissioners 3. - (1) The Chairman shall appoint three Commissioners to form a panel for the purpose of conducting proceedings in relation to a prisoner's case and shall nominate one of the three Commissioners to act as chairman of the panel. (2) The members of the panel appointed under paragraph (1) shall, so far as reasonably practicable, include a person who holds a legal qualification under Article 3(2) of the Order. (3) The members of the panel shall, so far as reasonably practicable, include a registered medical practitioner who is a psychiatrist, or a chartered psychologist. (4) If a member of the panel to which a case has been allocated is unavailable, the Chairman may nominate another Commissioner to take his place if he considers it necessary to ensure the fair and expeditious conduct of the prisoner's case. Notice of referral and listing 4. Where a case is referred to the Commissioners by the Secretary of State the Commissioners shall, within 7 days, list the case and serve written notice of referral on the parties indicating a provisional hearing date and timetable for the case. Representation 5. - (1) Subject to paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) the prisoner may appoint a person to act as his representative. (2) The following persons may act as a representative of the prisoner only with the consent of the Commissioners: -
(b) any person who has been released from prison on licence for life; (c) any person with a previous conviction for an imprisonable offence which remains unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1978[2].
(3) Subject to rule 11, the Commissioners, in deciding whether to grant their consent in accordance with paragraph (2), may require the prisoner and his proposed representative to provide to them such evidence, whether oral or written, including prison licence documentation and criminal records, as they consider necessary to enable them to make a direction.
(b) in any other case, the person in whom is vested the authority to agree.
General powers of the Commissioners Oral hearing 7. - (1) Except in so far as both parties and the chairman of the panel agree otherwise, there shall be an oral hearing of the prisoner's case. (2) The prisoner shall, within 5 weeks of the case being listed, notify the Commissioners and the Secretary of State whether he wishes to attend the hearing. Notice of hearing 8. - (1) When finalising the date for hearing the Commissioners shall consult the parties. (2) The Commissioners shall give the parties at least 3 weeks notice of the date, time and place scheduled for hearing or such shorter notice to which the parties may consent. Location and privacy of hearings 9. - (1) Subject to rule 11(9), hearings shall be held at the prison or other place of detention where the prisoner is detained. (2) Hearings shall be held in private except in so far as the chairman of the panel otherwise directs. (3) Information about the proceedings and the names of any persons concerned in the proceedings shall not be made public. (4) The chairman of the panel may admit to the hearing such persons on such terms and conditions as he considers appropriate. Hearing procedure 10. - (1) At the beginning of the hearing the chairman of the panel shall explain the order of proceedings which the panel proposes to adopt. (2) Subject to this rule, the panel shall conduct the hearing in such manner as they consider most suitable to the clarification of the issues before them and generally to the just handling of the case and they shall, so far as appears to them appropriate, seek to avoid formality in the proceedings. (3) Subject to paragraphs (5), (7) and (8) the parties shall be entitled to appear and be heard at the hearing and take such part in the proceedings as the panel considers appropriate and the parties may: -
(b) hear each other's evidence and submissions; (c) put questions to each other; (d) call any witnesses who the Commissioners have authorised to give evidence in accordance with rule 19; and (e) put questions to any witness appearing at the hearing.
(4) Subject to rule 18 the parties may not, without leave of the panel, make submissions or rely on or refer to documents, information or evidence which do not appear in substance in the case papers.
(b) the varying of the time within which or by which an act, required or authorised by these rules, be done; (c) the service of documents; (d) the submission and production of evidence; (e) the curing or waiving of irregularities; (f) the listing, location and adjournment of hearings, including preliminary hearings; (g) the calling of witnesses; (h) the appointment of a special advocate and his conduct of a case under rule 16; (i) the granting of consent in accordance with rule 5(2);
and following his appointment under rule 3, the chairman of the panel shall consider whether such directions need to be given at any time.
(b) on the written application of a party to the Commissioners which has been served on the other party and which specifies the direction which is sought.
(3) Within 7 days of making a direction under paragraph (2) the chairman of the panel shall serve on the parties such direction which shall be recorded in writing with reasons and dated and signed by him.
(b) where it thinks it necessary before making a direction after hearing oral submissions by the parties at a preliminary hearing conducted in accordance with paragraph (8); and it shall give the parties at least 14 days' notice of the time and place fixed for the preliminary hearing.
(8) Subject to paragraph (9), a preliminary hearing shall be conducted in accordance with rule 9. Information and reports by the Secretary of State 14. - (1) Within 8 weeks of the case being listed, and subject to paragraph (2) and rule 15, the Secretary of State shall serve on the Commissioners and the prisoner or his representative: -
(b) the reports specified in Part B of that Schedule.
(2) Any part of the information or reports referred to in paragraph (1) which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, should be withheld from the prisoner on the ground that its disclosure would adversely affect the health or welfare of the prisoner or others, shall be recorded in a separate document and served only on the Commissioners together with the reasons for believing that its disclosure would have that effect.
(b) a registered medical practitioner; or (c) a person whom the chairman of the panel directs is suitable by virtue of his experience or professional qualification;
provided that no information disclosed in accordance with this paragraph shall be disclosed either directly or indirectly to the prisoner or to any other person without the authority of the chairman of the panel.
(b) result in the commission of an offence; (c) facilitate an escape from lawful custody or the doing of any act prejudicial to the safe keeping of persons in custody; (d) impede the prevention or detection of offences or the apprehension or prosecution of suspected offenders; (e) be contrary to the interests of national security; or (f) otherwise cause substantial harm to the public interest;
and any such information, document or evidence is referred to in these rules as confidential information.
(b) cross-examining witnesses at any such hearings; and (c) making written submissions to the panel.
(3) Except in accordance with paragraph (4) a special advocate may not communicate directly or indirectly with the prisoner whose interests he has been appointed to represent on any matter connected with the case before the panel. Time 20. Where the time prescribed by or under these rules for doing any act expires on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in Northern Ireland, the act shall be done in time if done on the next working day. Transmission of documents etc 21. - (1) Subject to paragraph (2), any document required or authorised by these rules to be served on or otherwise transmitted to any person may be sent by pre-paid post or delivered: -
(b) in the case of a document directed to the Secretary of State, to the Northern Ireland Prison Service Headquarters; (c) in any other case, to the last known address of the person to whom the document is directed.
(2) Service of any document required to be served or otherwise transmitted under these rules may be effected by FAX where: -
(b) the parties agree the specified FAX numbers to which the document is transmitted; and (c) not later than one day after service by FAX, the party serving the document dispatches a copy of it to the other party or parties, as required by these rules, by any of the means prescribed for service under paragraph (1), and if he fails to do so, the document shall be deemed never to have been served by FAX.
(3) Where the FAX is transmitted on a working day before 5.00 pm it shall, unless the contrary is shown, be deemed to be served on that day, and, in any other case, on the working day next following. Recalled prisoners 24. Where the Secretary of State refers a prisoner's case to the Commissioners under Article 9(4) of the Order, these rules shall apply subject to the following modifications: -
(b) rule 14(1) shall apply as if the reference therein to the information and reports specified in Schedule 1 there were substituted a reference to the information and reports specified in Schedule 2.
1. The full name of the prisoner. 2. The date of birth of the prisoner. 3. The prison or place of detention in which the prisoner is detained and details of other prisons or places of detention in which the prisoner has been detained, including the date and reasons for any transfer. 4. The date the prisoner was sentenced and the details of the offence(s) in question, including information as to whether a certificate was issued by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland to deschedule any offence(s) in question. 5. Where applicable, the previous convictions, sentences, licences, periods of temporary release from prison, release and recall history of the prisoner. 6. The comments, if available, of the trial judge in passing sentence on the prisoner. 7. Where applicable, the conclusions of the Court of Appeal in respect of any appeal by the prisoner or the Attorney General for Northern Ireland against conviction or sentence. 8. Where applicable, particulars of and documents relating to any previous applications by the prisoner in respect of the case. 1. Any pre-trial and pre-sentence reports examined by the sentencing court and any police report on the circumstances of the offence(s). 2. Any report on the prisoner while he was subject to a transfer direction under Article 53 of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. 3. Any current reports on the prisoner's performance and behaviour in prison, where relevant, (reports previously examined by the Commissioners need only be summarised), including any: -
(b) record of offences against discipline; (c) reports on any temporary release; (d) details of, and reports on compliance with, any sentence management plan; (e) reports on the prisoner's health including mental health; (f) psychology reports; (g) assessment of the risk of re-offending and the likelihood of the prisoner being a danger to the public if released immediately; or (h) assessment of suitability for release on licence and licence conditions.
4.
An up-to-date report prepared for the Commissioners by a Probation Officer, including any reports on the following: -
(b) alternative options if the offender cannot return home; (c) the opportunity for employment on release; (d) the local community's attitude towards the prisoner (if known), including the attitudes and concerns of the victim(s) of the offence(s); (e) the prisoner's response to previous periods of supervision; (f) the prisoner's behaviour during any temporary release from prison during the current sentence; (g) the prisoner's response to discussions of the objectives of supervision where applicable; (h) an assessment of the risk of re-offending; (i) a programme of supervision; (j) a recommendation for release; and (k) recommendations regarding any special licence conditions.
5.
Any interview report prepared at the direction of the Commissioners under rule 6(4). 1. The full name of the prisoner. 2. The date of birth of the prisoner. 3. The prison or place of detention in which the prisoner is detained and details of other prisons or places of detention in which the prisoner has been detained, including the date and reasons for any transfer. 4. The date the prisoner was sentenced and the details of the offence(s) in question, including information as to whether a certificate was issued by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland to deschedule any offence(s) in question. 5. Where applicable, the previous convictions, sentences, licences, periods of temporary release from prison, release and recall history of the prisoner. 6. The details of, and reports on compliance with, any sentence management plan. 7. The detail of any previous recalls of the prisoner including the reasons for such recalls and subsequent re-release on licence. 8. The statement of reasons for the most recent recall which was given to the prisoner, and any representations made by him under Article 9(3) of the Order. 9. The details of any memorandum which the Commissioners considered prior to making its recommendation for recall under Article 9(1) of the Order or confirming the Secretary of State's decision to recall under Article 9(2) of the Order, including the reasons why the Secretary of State considered it expedient in the public interest to recall that person before it was practicable to obtain a recommendation from the Commissioners. 1. Any reports considered by the Commissioners prior to making its recommendation for recall under Article 9(1) of the Order or its confirmation of the Secretary of State's decision to recall under Article 9(2) of the Order. 2. Any other relevant reports. (This note is not part of the Rules.) These rules prescribe the practice and procedure to be followed by panels of Life Sentence Review Commissioners in dealing with the hearing of cases of life prisoners under the Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001. They include provision for: -
(b) the making of directions by the chairman of a panel for the conduct of a case; (c) the appointment of a special advocate in cases involving confidential information; (d) the reduction of time limits to permit the early hearing of cases involving recalled life prisoners.
Rule 21 provides for the service of documents on the Secretary of State at Northern Ireland Prison Service Headquarters. The current address to which these documents should be addressed is: -
Notes: [1] S.I. 2001/2564 (N.I. 2)back [2] S.I. 1978/1908 (N.I. 27)back [3] S.I. 1986/595 (N.I. 4)back
ISBN 0 33794038 X
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