Introduction from the Chair
Dear
Candidate
Thank you
for your interest in becoming Judicial Vice Chair of the Parole Board for
England and Wales. This appointment is made by the Parole Board with the
approval of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Ministers.
The Parole
Board is an independent body which sits as a court to protect the public by
risk assessing the most serious and complex prisoners to decide whether they
can be safely released back into the community or not. Our work is of critical
importance to victims and public safety, as well as prisoners and their
families, but it also has a wider role in maintaining public confidence in the
criminal justice system.
The
Judicial Vice Chair’s key roles and responsibilities are to: deputise for the
Chair; take a leading role on legal matters; be the Director of Education and
so oversee the training of our 330 members; lead on liaising with the judiciary
and other key stakeholders; and serve as a member on some of our most serious
and complex cases. The Judicial Vice Chair is also a member of the
Management Committee which is responsible for setting the Parole Board’s
objectives and business plans; reviewing key management information relating to
the performance and operations of the Parole Board, and approving the Parole
Board’s budget and annual accounts.
We are
very keen to increase the diversity of our organisation. A significant
proportion of the prison population are from a black, Asian or other minority
ethnic groups and a lack of representation can impact on trust and confidence.
We are an inclusive organisation and recognise that diversity is one of our
greatest strengths. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds.
This is a
very exciting time to join the Parole Board. We have modernised our ways of
working, we are updating our Rules and we are becoming more transparent and we
are implementing the changes arising as a result of the recent Victims and
Prisoners Act.
If you
believe that you have the experience and qualities that we are seeking, we hope
that you will consider applying for this important position. It should be
noted that to be eligible for this role you must be a senior member of the
judiciary which for these purposes means Court of Appeal, High Court, Old
Bailey or Senior Circuit Judges with a minimum of 7 years’ experience, who will
retire by 31 October 2025 and retired Court of Appeal, High Court, Old Bailey or Senior
Circuit Judges with a minimum of 7 years’ experience who have recent relevant
involvement in the criminal justice system. Applicants should have recent
relevant involvement in the criminal justice system (All references to Senior Circuit Judges include Circuit Judges of the
Central Criminal Court).
If you
have further questions about this post, you are welcome to speak to Caroline
Corby, Chair, Cecilia French, Parole Board CEO or the current Judicial Vice
Chair, HH Peter Rook KC.
If you have questions about the appointment process, you
can contact the Public Appointments Team at: publicappointmentsteam@Justice.gov.uk or call Caroline Banjo on 07540262437.
Appointment description
The Judicial Vice Chair will have the following
responsibilities/duties:
- Supporting the Parole Board in the provision of
clear, strong and visible leadership.
- Supporting the Parole Board to fulfil its
statutory functions effectively whilst maintaining its independence and its
status as a court-like body.
- Deputising for the Chair as required.
- Serving as a Member of the Parole Board
Management Committee – the responsibilities of the Management Committee are
described below.
- Being a judicial member of the Parole Board –
further details of these responsibilities are described below.
- Acting as Director of Education, taking
responsibility for strategy in respect of member training and liaising with the
Learning and Development function over implementation.
- Leading initiatives in respect of topical Parole
Board projects.
- Leading the judges who decide applications for
public hearings under delegated authority from the Chair and, on occasions,
deciding public hearing applications.
- Encouraging and fostering a culture of trust and
respect amongst the Parole Board membership.
- On occasions representing the Parole Board at
public events and speaking to the media.
- Liaising with the judiciary and other key
stakeholders.
The Role of a Judicial member of the Parole Board:
The successful candidate will automatically be appointed as
a judicial Member of the Parole Board by Ministers. The responsibilities of
Judicial members are:
- Chairing or sitting on Parole Board panels deciding cases considered high profile, or otherwise noteworthy.
- Deciding non-disclosure applications in accordance with the statutory Parole Board rules.
- Approving panel listings for noteworthy or other nominated cases.
- Assisting the Board as necessary when dealing with reconsideration and set aside applications.
- Determining whether it is in the interests of justice for a hearing to be held in public.
The core responsibilities of the Management Committee:
The successful candidate will automatically be appointed as
a member of the Parole Board’s Management Committee. The Management Committee
has overall responsibility for ensuring the effective functioning of the Parole
Board. Its key responsibilities are:
- Formulating the Parole Board’s overall strategy.
- Monitoring, supporting and, where appropriate,
challenging the Parole Board’s operation and performance.
- Approving Casework policy.
- Formally approving the Parole Board’s budget,
its annual report and annual accounts.
- Establishing Sub-Committees to support its
performance.
- Supporting the operation of the Members’
representative body to represent the views of the membership and ensuring that
it has appropriate access to the Parole Board Executive and Chair.
- We are inviting applications from serving Court of Appeal, High Court, Old Bailey or Senior Circuit Judges with a minimum of 7 years’ experience, who will retire by 31 October 2025 and retired Court of Appeal, High Court, Old Bailey or Senior Circuit Judges with a minimum of 7 years’ experience who have recent relevant involvement in the criminal justice system. Applicants should have recent relevant involvement in the criminal justice system (All references to Senior Circuit Judges include Circuit
Judges of the Central Criminal Court).
- Management Committee meetings typically take
place at 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London in person.
Sub-committee meetings tend to be remote. Oral hearings are largely remote but
can be held in prison. Meetings with members and training events are held
periodically in different parts of England and Wales. Meetings with
stakeholders generally take place in London.
Organisation description
The Parole
Board works to protect the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether
they can safely be released into the community. It was established under the
Criminal Justice Act 1967, and is classified as a Non Departmental Public Body,
that makes independent and impartial decisions.
It sits as
a court-like body and makes risk assessments which are rigorous, fair and
timely, based on information supplied by the prisoner, the prison and probation
service and other expert witnesses.
Parole
Board decisions are solely focused on whether a prisoner would represent a
significant risk to the public after release. The risk assessment is based on
detailed evidence found in the dossier (a collection of documents relating to
the prisoner) and evidence provided at the oral hearing.
The Parole
Board is responsible for considering parole reviews for prisoners serving
indeterminate sentences – sometimes called ‘life’ sentences – where the
sentence has no end date. It also considers certain types of determinate
sentence cases – where there is an end to the sentence – and some prisoners who
have been sent back, or ‘recalled’, to prison.
To be
eligible for parole, a prisoner will have served the minimum ‘tariff’, or
punishment part of their sentence, set by the courts. Prisoners eligible for
parole are only released into the community if the Parole Board decides it is
safe to do so.
An
offender released on a parole licence continues to serve the rest of their
sentence in the community while being supervised by the Probation Service. This
is known as ‘release on licence’ or parole.
The Parole
Board’s work is of critical importance to public safety, as well as prisoners
and their families, but also has a wider role in maintaining public confidence
in the justice system.
To read more about the Parole Board and its work
click here.
Board composition
Details about the composition of the Parole Board can be
found
here