Interim Covid-19 Guidance – Frequently Asked Questions Document
The Parole Board Interim Covid-19 Guidance issued in October 2020 has been replaced with a Frequently Asked Questions document.
Applies to England and Wales
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Details
Despite the coronavirus pandemic the Parole Board’s key principles do not change, these are:
- Protection of the public
- Fairness
- The test for release
The Parole Board is also under a duty to “speedily” review the detention of prisoners in cases referred to the Board. This duty comes from Article 5(4) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In October 2020, the Parole Board issued Covid-19 Member Guidance, which consolidated and updated pieces of member practice guidance issued between 11th March 2020 and 9th July 2020. This interim guidance was intended to assist members to act flexibly and progress cases during the Covid-19 pandemic, bearing in mind the Board’s principles and the duty to speedily review cases referred to it.
Since then, we have continued to transform our ways of working to progress cases and have reflected these changes within recently issued member guidance. In view of these changes and the passage of time, we have replaced the Covid-19 Member Guidance with a Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions document. This document captures and updates the guidance held within the Covid-19 Member Guidance that remains in place.
The Frequently Asked Questions document replaces all previous Parole Board guidance issued in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will remain in force whilst restrictions related to the pandemic continue to impact our business.