Criminal Justice Act 2003

246 Power to release prisoners on licence before required to do so E+W

(1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), the Secretary of State may—

(a) release on licence under this section a fixed-term prisonerF1 ... at any time during the period of 135 days ending with the day on which the prisoner will have served the requisite custodial period, F2 ...

F2 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) Subsection (1)(a) does not apply in relation to a prisoner unless—

(a) the length of the requisite custodial period is at least 6 weeks, [F3 and

(b) he has served—

(i) at least 4 weeks of that period, and

(ii) at least one-half of that period.]

F4 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) Subsection (1) does not apply where—

(a) the sentence is imposed under section [F5 226A,] 227[F6 , 228 or 236A],

[F7 (aa) the sentence is for a term of 4 years or more,]

(b) the sentence is for an offence under section 1 of the Prisoners (Return to Custody) Act 1995 (c. 16),

(c) the prisoner is subject to a hospital order, hospital direction or transfer direction under section 37, 45A or 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (c. 20),

(d) the sentence was imposed by virtue of paragraph 9(1)(b) or (c) or 10(1)(b) or (c) of Schedule 8 in a case where the prisoner has failed to comply with a curfew requirement of a community order,

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

(f) the prisoner is liable to removal from the United Kingdom,

(g) the prisoner has been released on licence under this section [F8 at any time], and has been recalled to prison under section 255(1)(a) [F9 (and the revocation has not been cancelled under section 255(3))],

[F10 (ga) the prisoner has at any time been released on licence under section 34A of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 and has been recalled to prison under section 38A(1)(a) of that Act (and the revocation of the licence has not been cancelled under section 38A(3) of that Act);]

(h) the prisoner has been released on licence under section 248 during the currency of the sentence, and has been recalled to prison under section 254, F11 ...

[F12 (ha) the prisoner has at any time been returned to prison under section 40 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 or section 116 of the Sentencing Act, or]

(i) in the case of a prisoner [F13 to whom section 240ZA applies or a direction under section 240A relates], the interval between the date on which the sentence was passed and the date on which the prisoner will have served the requisite custodial period is less than 14 days F14 ... .

[F15 (4ZA) Where subsection (4)(aa) applies to a prisoner who is serving two or more terms of imprisonment, the reference to the term of the sentence is—

(a) if the terms are partly concurrent, a reference to the period which begins when the first term begins and ends when the last term ends;

(b) if the terms are to be served consecutively, a reference to the aggregate of the terms.]

[F16 (4A) In subsection (4)—

(a) the reference in paragraph (d) to a community order includes a service community order or overseas community order under the Armed Forces Act 2006; and

(b) the reference in paragraph (i) to [F17 section 240ZA includes] section 246 of that Act.]

(5) The Secretary of State may by order—

(a) amend the number of days for the time being specified in subsection (1)(a) F18 ... or (4)(i),

(b) amend the number of weeks for the time being specified in subsection (2)(a) or (b)(i), and

(c) amend the fraction for the time being specified in subsection (2)(b)(ii) F19 ... .

(6) In this section—

• F20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• “the requisite custodial period” in relation to a person serving any sentence F21 ... , has the meaning given by [F22 paragraph (a) or (b) of section 243A(3) or (as the case may be)] paragraph (a)F21 ... or (d) of section 244(3);

• F23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• [F24 “term of imprisonment” includes a determinate sentence of detention under section 91 or 96 of the Sentencing Act or under section [F25 226A, 226B,] 227[F26 , 228 or 236A] of this Act.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 246(1)(a) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(2)(a); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F2 S. 246(1)(b) and preceding word omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(2)(b); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F3 S. 246(2)(b) and word substituted (14.7.2008) for s. 246(2)(b) by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4), ss. 24, 153; S.I. 2008/1586, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 para. 11

F4 S. 246(3) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(3); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F5 Words in s. 246(4)(a) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 20 para. 5(2); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(r)

F6 Words in s. 246(4)(a) substituted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), s. 95(1), Sch. 1 para. 7(2); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 72

F7 S. 246(4)(aa) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 112(2), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F8 Words in s. 246(4)(g) substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 112(3)(a), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F9 Words in s. 246(4)(g) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 112(3)(b), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F10 S. 246(4)(ga) inserted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), ss. 15(4), 95(1) (with s. 15(10)); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 11

F11 Word in s. 246(4)(h) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 112(4), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F12 S. 246(4)(ha) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 112(4), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F13 Words in s. 246(4)(i) substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 110(9)(a), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F14 Words in s. 246(4)(i) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(4); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F15 S. 246(4ZA) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 112(5), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F16 S. 246(4A) inserted (28.3.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 31.10.2009) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), ss. 378(1), 383, Sch. 16 para. 221; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3 (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4

F17 Words in s. 246(4A)(b) substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 110(9)(b), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F18 Words in s. 246(5)(a) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(5)(a); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F19 Words in s. 246(5)(c) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(5)(b); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F20 Words in s. 246(6) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(6)(a); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F21 Words in s. 246(6) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(6)(b); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F22 Words in s. 246(6) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 14 para. 7; S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(l)

F23 Words in s. 246(6) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 23(6)(c); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)

F24 Words in s. 246(6) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 112(6), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)

F25 Words in s. 246(6) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 20 para. 5(3); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(r)

F26 Words in s. 246(6) substituted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), s. 95(1), Sch. 1 para. 7(3); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 72

Commencement Information

I1 S. 246 wholly in force at 4.4.2005; s. 246 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 336(3); s. 246(1)(b)(3)(4)(b)-(i)(5)(6) in force for certain purposes at 26.1.2004 by S.I. 2003/3282, art. 2, Sch.; s. 246(5) in force at 7.3.2005 by S.I. 2005/373, art. 2; s. 246 in force in so far as not already in force at 4.4.2005 by S.I. 2005/950, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 para. 19 (subject to art. 2(2), Sch. 2)