The Parole Board. Working with others to protect the public.
News
Sir David Latham will take up his role as the new chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales this week. Sir David Latham's appointment starts on 25 February and is initially for a period of one year. He succeeds Sir Duncan Nichol in this role.
On his appointment Sir David Latham said:
"I am both honoured and delighted to be appointed to this position. The Parole Board plays a hugely important role in protecting the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether they can be safely released into the community.
"I am greatly looking forward to working with Parole Board members and staff alike to ensure that the Board delivers its objectives."
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said:
"I am pleased to announce Sir David as the new chairman of the Parole Board. He brings more than 40 years of experience in the legal profession, including as a High Court and Appeal Court judge.
"The Parole Board has a difficult and important job of risk assessing the most dangerous offenders in the criminal justice system. The Ministry of Justice is committed to working with the Board to assist it in meeting its responsibilities while maintaining its independence. The overriding priority must remain the protection of the public."
The Parole Board has responsibility for considering cases including those of life sentence prisoners and prisoners given indeterminate sentences for public protection. They also consider whether prisoners are safe to release into the community once they have completed the minimum time they must spend in prison (their tariff).
1. Biography of Sir David Latham. Sir David Latham, 66, was Vice-President, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) from 2006 until his retirement from the bench in February 2009. He was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2000, having been a High Court Judge since 1992. He was called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1964 and made a Bencher in 1989. He was appointed Queens Counsel in 1985.
Sir David Latham was Presiding Judge for the Midland and Oxford Circuit from 1995-99, and a Member of the General Council of the Bar 1987-92. He was a Recorder 1983-92 and a member of the Judicial Studies Board 1988-91.
2. The Parole Board for England and Wales was established in 1967 under the Criminal Justice Act 1967. It became an independent Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) on 1 July 1996 under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
3. Further information about the Parole Board can be found at www.paroleboard.gov.uk For more information about the appointment please contact Ministry of Justice Press Office on 020 3334 3536. To find out more about the work of the Parole Board please call their Press Office on 020 7217 0564.
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