The Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001

Duration and conditions of licencesN.I.

8.—(1) Where a life prisoner is released on licence, the licence shall, unless previously revoked under Article 9(1) or (2), remain in force until his death.

(2) A life prisoner subject to a licence shall comply with such conditions (which may include on his release conditions as to his supervision by a probation officer) as may for the time being be specified in the licence; and the [F1Department of Justice] may make rules for regulating the supervision of any descriptions of such persons.

(3) The [F1Department of Justice] shall not include on release, or subsequently insert, a condition in the licence of a life prisoner, or vary or cancel any such condition, except in accordance with recommendations of the Commissioners.

[F2(4) Rules made under paragraph (2) shall be subject to negative resolution.]

[F3(5) The Secretary of State may exercise any power of the Department of Justice to include, insert, vary or cancel conditions in a licence but only if his decision to exercise the power is arrived at (wholly or partly) on the basis of protected information; and, in relation to the exercise of such a power by the Secretary of State, in paragraph (3) the reference to the Department of Justice is to be read as a reference to the Secretary of State.

(6) The Department of Justice must exercise its powers subject to anything done by the Secretary of State by virtue of paragraph (5).]