http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/44/section/244ZACriminal Justice Act 2003An Act to make provision about criminal justice (including the powers and duties of the police) and about dealing with offenders; to amend the law relating to jury service; to amend Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Part 5 of the Police Act 1997; to make provision about civil proceedings brought by offenders; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-07-03Expert Participation2026-06-29 Part 12SentencingChapter 6 <Substitution ChangeId="key-65c5e657ebfe88bf0b6d18f161e3347b-1493737989497" CommentaryRef="key-65c5e657ebfe88bf0b6d18f161e3347b"> Release, licences </Substitution><Substitution ChangeId="key-65c5e657ebfe88bf0b6d18f161e3347b-1493737989497" CommentaryRef="key-65c5e657ebfe88bf0b6d18f161e3347b"><Addition ChangeId="key-a6706511f2568575b2e8ff6b14b4096f-1543596559491" CommentaryRef="key-a6706511f2568575b2e8ff6b14b4096f">, supervision</Addition></Substitution><Substitution ChangeId="key-65c5e657ebfe88bf0b6d18f161e3347b-1493737989497" CommentaryRef="key-65c5e657ebfe88bf0b6d18f161e3347b"> and recall</Substitution><Emphasis>Release on licence</Emphasis><Addition ChangeId="key-2042a8fcfe200e0d887c17de8eb4144a-1657625587529" CommentaryRef="key-2042a8fcfe200e0d887c17de8eb4144a">Release on licence of certain violent or sexual offenders</Addition>244ZA1As soon as a fixed-term prisoner to whom this section applies has served the requisite custodial period for the purposes of this section, it is the duty of the Secretary of State to release the prisoner on licence under this section.2This section applies to a prisoner who—ais serving a fixed-term sentence within subsection (4), (5) or (6),bis not a prisoner to whom section 244A, 246A or 247A applies, andchas not been released on licence (provision for the release of persons recalled under section 254 being made by sections 255B to 255C).3Subsection (1) does not apply if—athe prisoner’s case has been referred to the Board under section 244ZB, orba notice given to the prisoner under subsection (4) of that section is in force.4A fixed-term sentence is within this subsection if it—ais a sentence of—iimprisonment, oriidetention under section 96 of the PCC(S)A 2000 or section 262 of the Sentencing Code,bis for a term of 7 years or more,cwas imposed on or after 1 April 2020, anddwas imposed in respect of an offence—ithat is specified in Part 1 or 2 of Schedule 15, andiifor which a sentence of life imprisonment could have been imposed (in the case of an offender aged 21 or over) at the time when the actual sentence was imposed.5A fixed-term sentence is within this subsection if it—ais a sentence of imprisonment or a sentence of detention under section 262 of the Sentencing Code,bis for a term of at least 4 years but less than 7 years,cwas imposed on or after the day on which section 130 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into force, anddwas imposed in respect of an offence within subsection (7).6A fixed-term sentence is within this subsection if it—ais a sentence of detention under section 250 of the Sentencing Code,bis for a term of 7 years or more,cwas imposed on or after the day on which section 130 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into force, anddwas imposed in respect of an offence within subsection (7).7An offence is within this subsection if—ait is specified in any of the following paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 15—iparagraph 1 (manslaughter);iiparagraph 4 (soliciting murder);iiiparagraph 6 (wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm);ivparagraph 64 (ancillary offences), so far as it relates to an offence listed in paragraph 1, 4 or 6;vparagraph 65 (inchoate offences in relation to murder), orbit is an offence—ithat is specified in Part 2 of that Schedule (sexual offences), andiifor which a sentence of life imprisonment could have been imposed (in the case of an offender aged 21 or over) at the time when the actual sentence was imposed.8For the purposes of this section “the requisite custodial period” means—ain relation to a prisoner serving one sentence, two-thirds of the prisoner’s sentence, andbin relation to a prisoner serving two or more concurrent or consecutive sentences, the period determined under sections 263(2) and 264(2B) or (2E).9For the purposes of this section, a reference to an offence specified in a paragraph or Part of Schedule 15 includes a reference to a service offence as respects which the corresponding civil offence is so specified.10In subsection (9)—a“service offence” means an offence under—isection 70 of the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955,iisection 42 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957, oriiisection 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006;b“corresponding civil offence” means—iin relation to an offence under section 70 of the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955, the corresponding civil offence within the meaning of that Act;iiin relation to an offence under section 42 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957, the civil offence within the meaning of that section;iiiin relation to an offence under section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006, the corresponding offence under the law of England and Wales within the meaning of that section.11Section 48 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (supplementary provisions relating to ancillary service offences) applies for the purposes of subsection (10)(b)(iii) above as it applies for the purposes of the provisions of that Act referred to in subsection (3)(b) of that section.Pt. 12 Ch. 6 applied to any person serving a sentence for an offence committed before 4 April 2005 (whenever that sentence was or is imposed) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 121(1), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)Pt. 12 Ch. 6 modified (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 244(1)(2)(c), 416(1) (with ss. 2, 244(3), 398(1), 406, Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2Pt. 12 Ch. 6 applied (29.6.2021) by 1984 c. 47, Sch. para. 2(3B) (as inserted by Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 (c. 11), s. 50(2)(r), Sch. 11 para. 2)S. 244ZA inserted (28.6.2022) by Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (c. 32), ss. 130(3), 208(5)(m)Pt. 12 Ch. 6 applied (1.2.2015) by Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 (c. 11), s. 22(1), Sch. 7 para. 2(a); S.I. 2015/40, art. 2(x)Pt. 12 Ch. 6 modified (22.3.2026) by 1984 c. 27, Sch. para. 2B(3) (as inserted by Sentencing Act 2026 (c. 2), ss. 41(1), 49(4) (with s. 41(3)(4)))S. 244ZA(9)-(11) inserted (22.1.2026) by Sentencing Act 2026 (c. 2), ss. 25(2), 49(3)(a) (with s. 25(3))Pt. 12 Ch. 6 heading substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 14 para. 16; S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(l)Word in Pt. 12 Ch. 6 heading inserted (1.2.2015) by Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 (c. 11), s. 22(1), Sch. 3 para. 15 (with Sch. 7 para. 2); S.I. 2015/40, art. 2(u)Pt. 12 Ch. 6 modified (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 245(1)(2)(c), 416(1) (with ss. 2, 245(3), 398(1), 406, Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2Word in s. 244ZA(2)(c) substituted (31.3.2026 for specified purposes and otherwise coming into force in accordance with reg. 4 of the commencing S.I.) by Sentencing Act 2026 (c. 2), ss. 33(6), 49(1) (with s. 33(14)); S.I. 2026/86, regs. 3(b)(iv), 4Pt. 12 (ss. 142-305) modified (4.4.2005) by The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Sentencing) (Transitory Provisions) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/643), art. 3 (as amended (E.W.) (3.12.2012) by The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Consequential and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2824), regs. 1, 3(1) (with reg. 3(2)) and as amended (1.12.2020 immediately before the consolidation date (see 2020 c. 9, ss. 3, 5(2)(3) and 2020 c. 17, ss. 2, 416)) by Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Act 2020 (c. 9), s. 5(2)(3), Sch. 2 para. 139; S.I. 2012/1236, reg. 2)Pt. 12 modified (28.3.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 31.10.2009) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), ss. 183(4), 383 (as amended (1.4.2008) by The Offender Management Act 2007 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/912), art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 23(2)(b)); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3 (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4