Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Scheme may be cited as the Prisoner Release Victim Information (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Scheme 2005 and shall come into force on 5th December 2005.

(2) In this Scheme “the Principal Scheme” means the Prisoner Release Victim Information (Northern Ireland) Scheme 2003(2).

Amendments to the Principal Scheme

2.—(1) Article 2(4) of the Principal Scheme is amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

(2) In sub-paragraph (a) after “spouse” insert “or civil partner”.

(3) In sub-paragraph (b) after “spouse” insert “or civil partner”.

3.—(1) Article 4 of the Principal Scheme is amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

(2) In paragraph (4)(b) for “charge” substitute “discharge”.

(3) In paragraph (6)(b) for “temporary release is considered” substitute “any decision referred to in Article 4(2)(c) is taken”.

4.  In Article 5 of the Principal Scheme paragraph (2)(c) is omitted.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Statutory Rule)

This statutory rule makes alterations to the Prisoner Release Victim Information (Northern Ireland) Scheme 2003 (“the Principal Scheme”).

Article 2 amends the description of “close family member” in Article 2 of the Principal Scheme so as to include a person who is a civil partner under the provisions of the Civil Partnership Act 2004. Article 3(2) makes a minor drafting alteration, and Article 3(3) omits wording from Article 4 of the Principal Scheme to clarify that information which may be made available under the Principal Scheme is, where reasonably practicable, to be provided before a decision is made on the temporary release of an offender. Article 4 omits wording from Article 5(2)(c) of the Principal Scheme which relates to offenders with less than three months' imprisonment left to serve at the time the Principal Scheme came into force and which, by the passage of time, is no longer necessary.