Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014

28 Life prisoners: victim’s right to make oral representations before release on licence

In section 17 of the 2003 Act (release on licence: right of victim to receive information and make representations)—

(a) in subsection (1)—

(i) the words from “be”, where it first occurs, to the end become paragraph (a) of the subsection, and

(ii) after that paragraph, add—

“(b) if the convicted person is serving a sentence of life imprisonment, be afforded an opportunity to make oral representations to a member of the Parole Board for Scotland who is not dealing with the convicted person’s case as respects such release and as to conditions which might be specified in the licence in question.”,

(b) in subsection (4)—

(i) after “how” insert “written”, and

(ii) at the end add “and how oral representations under that subsection should be made”,

(c) after subsection (10), insert—

“(10A) In complying with the duty imposed on them by subsection (5), the Scottish Ministers may fix different times in relation to written and oral representations respectively.”, and

(d) after subsection (12), add—

“(13) The Scottish Ministers may by order modify the description or descriptions of convicted person for the time being specified in subsection (1)(b).”.