Guidance

Duty Member Activities Guidance (September 2026, v4.0)

Guidance on the work of the Duty Member

• From: Parole Board
• Published: 20 February 2025

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Duty Member Activities Guidance (September 2026, v.4.0)

PDF, 643 KB, 53 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email info@paroleboard.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

The role of the duty member at the Parole Board is to deal with requests received from the Secretary of State or the Prisoner/Legal Representative that fall outside routine MCA and oral hearing processes.

This guidance sets out the key principles underpinning the handling of common requests as a duty member and the practical options available such as:

• Combining reviews

• Compassionate release

• Revoking and varying directions

• Prioritising or expediting a case

The guidance has been revised to reflect the changes following:

The Parole Board (Amendment) Rules 2025

The Sentencing Act 2026

The Parole Board (Amendment No.2) Rules 2026

The judgment in the case of R (Hanson) v Parole Board for England and Wales [2026] EWHC 1723 (Admin)

The judgment in the case of R (Newlove) v The Parole Board and the SSJ (AC-2025-LON-0005562026)

as well as other changes in practice.

This replaces all previous Parole Board guidance on Duty Member Activities