“The Parole Board is an independent body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners to determine whether they can be safely released into the community.” The Parole Board Rules 2019 made private parole hearings the default position. Now it is possible for members of the public, including victims of crime, to request to observe these hearings.
2021 – Root and branch review of the parole system: Government response to the public consultation on making some parole hearings open to victims of crime and the wider public
While the government did not think that public hearings should be the default position, they considered that a blanket ban on public hearings was unnecessary.
March 2022 – Root and Branch review of the Parole System: The Future of the Parole System in England and Wales
The response of the government is considered in “Part 2: Victims and Transparency”.
21st July 2022 – Applying for a Parole review to be public
Guidance on applications for public parole hearings; application form for such applications.
The Parole Board Rules 2019 as amended in 2024
24th February 2025 – Observer guidance – private hearings
Guidance for public observation of parole hearings. This is an explanation of how panel members should make decisions about whether observers should be permitted in a private hearing.
Courts and Tribunals Observers’ Network 