FEW parole-board decisions acquire been as closely scrutinised as the proposed release of John Worboys in January. The announcement sparked fury. MPs demanded an explanation. David Gauke,the justice secretary, considered an unprecedented legal challenge but settled for a review of the whole system of how prisoners are released.
On February 7th a high-court judge duly allowed a judicial review of the decision, and at the request of two victims. In 2009 Mr Worboys,a taxi driver, was jailed for sexually assaulting 12 women. He is believed to acquire attacked approximately 90 more. It is unclear whether he will be freed, or but the case may lead to a reform of the parole system.
One of the main concerns of Mr Gauke’s inquiry,to be conducted by the House of Commons justice select committee, is transparency. The parole board acts like a court, and deciding whether to release convicts,many of them on life or open-ended sentences. The rulings are based on testimonies from experts, like psychotherapists. Many involve oral hearings held by parole-board...
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Source: economist.com