The Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008

Power to release prisoners on licence before required to do so

19.—(1) The Secretary of State may release on licence under this Article a fixed-term prisoner at any time during the period of 135 days ending with the day on which the prisoner will have served the requisite custodial period.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in relation to a prisoner unless—

(a) the length of the requisite custodial period is at least 6 weeks; and

(b) the prisoner has served—

(i) at least 4 weeks of the prisoner’s sentence; and

(ii) at least one-half of the requisite custodial period.

(3) Paragraph (1) shall not apply where—

(a) the sentence is an extended custodial sentence;

(b) the prisoner is subject to a hospital order or transfer direction within the meaning of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (NI 4);

(c) the prisoner is subject to the notification requirements of Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (c. 42);

(d) the prisoner is liable to removal from the United Kingdom;

(e) the prisoner has been released on licence under this Article during the currency of the sentence, and has been recalled to prison under Article 30; or

(f) the prisoner has been released on licence under Article 20 during the currency of the sentence, and has been recalled to prison under Article 28.

(4) The Secretary of State may by order—

(a) amend the number of days specified in paragraph (1);

(b) amend the number of weeks specified in paragraph (2)(a) or (b)(i);

(c) amend the fraction specified in paragraph (2)(b)(ii).

(5) In this Article “the requisite custodial period” has the same meaning as in Article 17.

(6) In this Article—

(a) “fixed-term prisoner” includes a person serving a determinate custodial sentence for an offence committed before the commencement of this Article; and

(b) in relation to such a prisoner, “the requisite custodial period” means one-half of the term of the sentence.

(7) For the purposes of this Article a person is liable to removal from the United Kingdom if that person

(a) is liable to deportation under section 3(5) of the Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77) and has been notified of a decision to make a deportation order against that person;

(b) is liable to deportation under section 3(6) of that Act;

(c) has been notified of a decision to refuse that person leave to enter the United Kingdom;

(d) is an illegal entrant within the meaning of section 33(1) of that Act; or

(e) is liable to removal under section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (c. 33).