Below is a summary of the recommendations made by National Legal Aid to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee's Inquiry into the Commonwealth Parole Board Bill 2025 and the Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. You can read our full submission to the right or below.
Summary of recommendations
Commonwealth Parole Board Bill
Recommendation 1
That section 13 is amended to require that the Chair’s development of the Commonwealth Parole Board Guidelines includes a commitment to consultation with stakeholders and public release of the Guidelines.
Recommendation 2
That the Bill be amended to include the provision for the appointment of a legal practitioner to assist the offender, particularly where counsel has been appointed to assist the Commonwealth Parole Board or where the offender has mental health, cognitive or physical disabilities or is from a non-English speaking background.
Recommendation 3
That section 23 is amended to incorporate procedural fairness safeguards for conduct and use of offender interviews.
Recommendation 4
That section 29 is amended to require that both the Chair and Deputy Chair have been enrolled legal practitioners for at least 5 years.
Commonwealth Parole Board (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill
Recommendation 5
That 19AKC includes the express provision that the Commonwealth Parole Board may reconsider parole at any time within the reconsideration period.
That clarification regarding 19AKC (3) is provided about the circumstances in which it may be relied upon.
Recommendation 6
That 19AW is amended to be expressly consistent with section 19AQ to allow for clean street time to be taken into account in revocation of parole by the Board.
Recommendation 7
That funding is made available for the provision of legal assistance as part of the establishment of the Commonwealth Parole Board.
