Upcoming events
Issues in Criminal Justice Lecture - Radical Transparency: Reforming parole to increase public confidence
Thursday 12 October 18:30 until 20:30
UK : The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Speaker: Professor Stephen Shute, Professor of Criminal Law & Criminal Justice
Radical Transparency: Reforming parole to increase public confidence.
In his 1914 book on banking, US Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis famously wrote that sunlight was “the best of disinfectants” and “electric light the most efficient policeman”.
Following the decision taken by the Parole Board for England and Wales in December 2017 to direct the release of the so-called ‘Black cab rapist’, John Worboys, a series of changes were made to the parole system to render it more transparent and accountable. The hope was that these measures (and those included in the Victims and Prisoners Bill which is currently passing through Parliament) would restore the public and political confidence in parole that was so damaged by the Worboys case.
The reforms that have already been introduced include holding some parole hearings in “public”; introducing decision summaries which are primarily made available to victims and sometimes to the press; and the creation of a new “reconsideration mechanism” which allows some parole decisions to be given a “second look” without the need for the intervention of the courts.
The strengths and weaknesses of these measures will be examined in this lecture. It will also reflect briefly on what else needs to be done to move parole in England and Wales further into the sunlight and will offer some closing reflections on the dilemmas that all parole systems face when deciding which prisoners can and which cannot be safely released into the community.
Speaker: Professor Stephen Shute, Professor of Criminal Law & Criminal Justice and recently appointed first British President of the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation.
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Timings: 6.30pm to 7.30pm followed by drinks and canapé reception
This event is open to everyone, but places are strictly limited, so please book your place using the booking link below.
Book your free place
The Issues in Criminal Justice lectures have been made possible as a result of a generous bequest from the estate of Richard Headridge Esq.
Posted on behalf of: Development and Alumni Relations Office
Last updated: Wednesday, 9 August 2023