The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Parole Board for Scotland

21/01/2005

Eight new members (three legal members and five lay members) have been appointed to the Parole Board for Scotland, Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson announced today.

The new legal members are:

- a qualified solicitor since 1993, Ms Roberts has worked as a Reporter to the Children's Panel, a Welfare Rights Officer and a Solicitor to Aberdeen City Council (specialising in child law issues). She was also been a law lecturer at Aberdeen College and a tutor at Aberdeen university. From 2002 to the present, she has been legal adviser, on operational issues, to the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care. In December 2004, she was appointed by Scottish Ministers as a Member of the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals. This appointment attracts a remuneration of £8,924 for a time commitment of 35 days per annum.

Sheriff Fiona Reith, QC - a qualified solicitor since 1979, Sheriff Reith was called to the Scottish bar in 1983. She was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1996 and in 1999 and 2000 was appointed as Sheriff in Perth and Glasgow respectively. Sheriff Reith is also currently a member of the Criminal Courts Rules Council and serves on the Council of Sheriffs' Association. Sheriff Reith does not hold any other ministerial public appointments.

Sheriff Principal John McInnes - admitted advocate in 1963, Sheriff Principal McInnes chaired the Summary Justice Review Committee which produced a report in March 2004 making recommendations to the Executive on the provision of summary justice in Scotland. Sheriff Principal of South Strathclyde and Dumfries and Galloway, Sheriff Principal McInnes has also held a number of public appointments over the years and currently holds, amongst others, appointments to the Northern Lighthouse Board, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and is a Deputy Lieutenant for Fife Lieutenancy.

The new lay members are:

Corinne France - a qualified social worker who has, for the previous 3 years, been employed as an Area Manager in the Children and Families Division of Lancashire Council Social Services Department. Mrs France does not hold any other ministerial public appointments.

Frances Stuart - a qualified social worker, until October 2004, Mrs Stuart was acting Director of Lifelong Care in Scottish Borders Council. A member of the Inverness Prison Visiting Committee between 1979 and 1982, Mrs Stuart has held an appointment to the Highlands and Islands Development Board. She does not currently hold any other ministerial public appointments.

Howard Llewellyn - a barrister in England by profession, Mr Llewellyn was, until 2002, Director of Legal Services and Legal Advisor to Cambridgeshire Constabulary. He currently holds an appointment as an Investigating Officer for the Standards Commission for Scotland and is also a chair and member of Highland Children's Panel.

Irene Kitson - currently employed as a freelance consultant in employment and human resource management, Ms Kitson was previously a local councillor in Edinburgh. She is a Justice of the Peace and has been a member of the Visiting Committees in Edinburgh and Cornton Vale prisons. Ms Kitson is currently an appointed Independent Assessor of public appointments in Scotland and also sits on Employment Tribunals as well as serving as a member of Scottish Enterprise for Edinburgh and Lothian.

Christine Vine - a qualified solicitor in England by profession, Mrs Vine is currently a part time lecturer in the Department of Law at the University of Dundee. In addition, she is a part time Reporter to the Children's Panel in Scotland. Mrs Vine holds no other ministerial public appointments.

The term of these appointments will run from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2011. Members are required to work between 8 and 12 days per month. Parole Board appointments attract a daily rate of £277 for legal members and £178 for lay members. Serving members of the judiciary do not receive payment, other than travel and subsistence expenses in connection with their work on the Board.

The Parole Board is a key element of Scotland's criminal justice system. It has a number of statutory functions. It decides on the suitability for early release on licence of long term offenders (those sentenced to imprisonment for four years or more) to serve the remaining part of their sentence in the community - subject to the statutory requirement to release on licence at the 2/3 stage of sentence. Certain young people sentenced on indictment and placed in secure accommodation are also eligible to be considered for parole.

The Board also has the power to direct the release on licence of life sentence prisoners once they 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.

For this purpose, the Board sits on a three-person Tribunal, comprising a Chair (legal member) and two lay members.

The Board also considers the need to recall to custody offenders who have breached their licence conditions and, subject to the statutory test, may direct 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 are also required to chair Tribunals, as directed by the Board's chairman. Tribunals review the case for the release of life sentence prisoners who have completed the punishment part of their life sentence.

These Ministerial public appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland.

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.

Seven of the new appointees have declared that they have not been involved in any political activity within the last five years. Ms Kitson declared that in the previous five years, she has canvassed or helped at elections on behalf of the Labour Party.