26.—(1) Where, in the case of an offender who has been sentenced to imprisonment or ordered to be detained in a young offenders centre—
(a)the whole or any part of his sentence or order for detention was imposed for a sexual offence, and
(b)the court by which he was sentenced or ordered to be detained for that offence, having regard to—
(i)the need to protect the public from serious harm from him, and
(ii)the desirability of preventing the commission by him of further offences and of securing his re-habilitation, ordered that this Article shall apply,
instead of being granted remission of his sentence or order for detention under prison rules, the offender shall, on the day on which he might have been discharged if the remission had been granted, be released on licence under the provisions of this Article.
(2) An offender released on licence under this Article shall be under the supervision of a probation officer appointed for or assigned to the petty sessions district within which the offender resides until the date on which he would (but for his release) have served the whole of his sentence or order for detention.
(3) An offender released on licence under this Article shall comply with such conditions determined by the Secretary of State as may be specified in the licence.
(4) An offender released on licence under this Article shall be given a notice from the Secretary of State before any alteration in the conditions specified in the licence comes into effect.
(5) The Secretary of State may make rules for regulating the supervision of sex offenders under this Article.