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Criminal Justice Act 2003

Section 248: Power to release prisoners on compassionate grounds

579.This section re-enacts section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, and sets out the procedure for releasing fixed-term prisoners on compassionate grounds. The Secretary of State may only release prisoners on these grounds if exceptional circumstances exist (for example where the prisoner is suffering from a terminal illness). In such cases subsection (2) requires the Parole Board is to be consulted prior to release wherever possible.

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