These Regulations bring into force section 44 (further appointment to membership) of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 (“the 2019 Act”) on 31 December 2019.

Section 44 inserts new paragraphs 2DA, 2HA and 2HB into schedule 2 of the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993 and repeals paragraphs 2E to 2H of that schedule. Paragraph 2DA provides that a person who has been a member of the Parole Board for Scotland, is eligible for appointment on a subsequent occasion, unless certain conditions apply. Paragraphs 2HA and 2HB provide for a new automatic reappointment procedure for members of the Parole Board for Scotland.

Regulation 3 makes a transitory provision to provide that the words “which in particular means that reappointment is for 5 years at a time” in paragraph 2HB(3) do not apply until the commencement of section 43 of the 2019 Act. When commenced, section 43 will provide that the maximum length of appointment is reduced from a period not shorter than six or longer than seven years, to a fixed period of five years beginning with the date of appointment. The transitory provision disapplies reference to reappointment for 5 years until such time as section 43 is commenced.

The Bill for the 2019 Act received Royal Assent on 30 July 2019. Sections 62 (ancillary provision), 63 (commencement) and 64 (short title) came into force on the following day.