The Celtic League have written to the Isle of Man Department of Home Affairs (DHA) raising a number of queries about the Parole Board and the way it operates.
Last month a High Court decision in the United Kingdom criticised the way the Parole system in England and Wales operated. At that time the Celtic League expressed a view that the exposure of deficiencies in the UK system warranted the Parole system in the Isle of Man being subject to equal scrutiny.
The Celtic League advanced the view that the Isle of Man system was "unhealthily secret and overdue for social audit".
The correspondence to the DHA is set out below:
"The Chief Executive Mr Will Greenhow Department of Home Affairs Holmfield Douglas Isle of Man
Ref: Isle of Man Parole Board
Dear Mr Greenhow,
Can you advise who the current members of the Isle of Man Parole Board are?
Could you also indicate when they were appointed and for how long they hold office?
Is the Parole Board required to produce an annual report for the Department and if so is this document published annually?
Does the Parole Board operate using fixed criteria?
Has the procedure used by those eligible for Parole to seek a hearing been changed recently - or are any changes planned?
Is the Board required to provide applicants with written and detailed reasons for its decisions?
Finally, are applicants for Parole granted a full representative hearing before the Board when their case is considered?"
See also related Celtic News article at:
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
20/10/07
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