This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Appointment to Parole Board for Scotland
30/07/2004
Kathleen McQuillan has been appointed as a new member to
the Parole Board for Scotland.
She has been a a qualified solicitor since 1981 and has
worked with Strathclyde Joint Police Board and as an
authority advocate with the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Authority (CICA) from 1989 to 2002. Between 1979 and 1989
she also worked in a number of legal practices, dealing
with issues relating to employment, civil and criminal
law. Mrs McQuillan does not hold any other ministerial
public appointments.
This appointment will be for six years and will run from
August 1, 2004 to July 31, 2010. It attracts a daily fee
of £266 for a time commitment of between eight and twelve
days per month.
The Parole Board is a key player in Scotland's criminal
justice system. It decides whether prisoners who have been
sentenced to imprisonment for four years or more should be
released early, on licence, to serve part of their
sentences in the community. Since 1993, such offenders are
eligible for early release on licence after they have
served on half of their sentence. Certain young people
sentenced on indictment and placed in secure accommodation
are also eligible to be considered for parole.
The Board has the power to direct the release of life
prisoners who have served the punishment part of their
sentence if it is satisfied that the prisoner no longer
requires to be confined for the protection of the
public.
The Board also considers the need to recall to custody
offenders who have breached their licence conditions and,
if appropriate, their re-release.
Membership of the Parole Board involves attending
regular casework meetings and visiting penal establishments
to interview prisoners eligible for consideration for
release on parole. Legal members, such as Mrs McQuillan,
are also required to chair Tribunals, as directed by the
Board's chair. Tribunals review the case for the release of
life sentence prisoners who have completed the punishment
part of their life sentence.
This Ministerial public appointment was made in
accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office
of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
All appointments are made on merit and political
activity plays no part in the selection process. However,
in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations,
there is a requirement for appointees' political activity
(if there is any to be declared) to be made public. Mrs
McQuillan has declared that she has not been involved in
any political activity within the last five years.