Sentence Review Commission
Encyclopedia
The Sentence Review Commission was established by the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 and was co-chaired
by Brian Currin
, a South Africa
n human rights lawyer and Sir John Blelloch
, a retired senior Northern Ireland Office
civil servant.The Sentence Review Commissioners in Northern Ireland were appointed to oversee and regulate the early release of certain prisoners convicted during the period of civil unrest known as The Troubles
. It was established by the Belfast Agreement
which allowed for up to 500 Loyalist
and Republican
prisoners sentenced
before 10 April 1998 to be released by 28 July 2000. This meant that a prisoner who was sentenced to five or more years in prison
would serve only one third of their sentence. Prisoners sentenced to life would serve terms compatible with a prisoner not sentenced to terrorist
-related crimes minus one-third.
This decision to release prisoners without serving their full sentences provoked moral outrage. Many members of the community, especially Unionists
were aggrieved at this part of the Agreement, however this was seen as necessary to appease the paramilitary
organisations, namely the Provisional IRA, Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association
. To be eligible for early-release, the prisoner had to be affiliated to a paramilitary organisation that had established, and maintained, "a complete and unequivocal cease-fire". The Sentence Review Commission decided which prisoners should be early-released and whether any were a threat to society and could re-offend. Each prisoner was released on licence and the licence would be revoked if the Commissioners and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
decided that they had rejoined a terrorist organisation or supported terrorist activity.
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
by Brian Currin
Brian Currin
Brian Currin is a South African lawyer who was instrumental in the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission....
, a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n human rights lawyer and Sir John Blelloch
John Blelloch
Sir John Blelloch KBE was Permanent Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office from 1988 to 1990.Blelloch was educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge....
, a retired senior Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
civil servant.The Sentence Review Commissioners in Northern Ireland were appointed to oversee and regulate the early release of certain prisoners convicted during the period of civil unrest known as The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
. It was established by the Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
which allowed for up to 500 Loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
and Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
prisoners sentenced
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
before 10 April 1998 to be released by 28 July 2000. This meant that a prisoner who was sentenced to five or more years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
would serve only one third of their sentence. Prisoners sentenced to life would serve terms compatible with a prisoner not sentenced to terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
-related crimes minus one-third.
This decision to release prisoners without serving their full sentences provoked moral outrage. Many members of the community, especially Unionists
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
were aggrieved at this part of the Agreement, however this was seen as necessary to appease the paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organisations, namely the Provisional IRA, Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
. To be eligible for early-release, the prisoner had to be affiliated to a paramilitary organisation that had established, and maintained, "a complete and unequivocal cease-fire". The Sentence Review Commission decided which prisoners should be early-released and whether any were a threat to society and could re-offend. Each prisoner was released on licence and the licence would be revoked if the Commissioners and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
decided that they had rejoined a terrorist organisation or supported terrorist activity.
List of Commissioners
- Sir John BlellochJohn BlellochSir John Blelloch KBE was Permanent Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office from 1988 to 1990.Blelloch was educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge....
(Co-chairman) - David Bolton (Resigned to deal with Omagh bombingOmagh bombingThe Omagh bombing was a car bomb attack carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army , a splinter group of former Provisional Irish Republican Army members opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, on Saturday 15 August 1998, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Twenty-nine people died as a...
, replaced by Dr Duncan Morrow) - Silvia Casale
- Peter Curran
- Brian CurrinBrian CurrinBrian Currin is a South African lawyer who was instrumental in the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission....
(Co-chairman) - Ian Dunbar
- Adrian Grounds
- Mary Gilpin
- Clodagh McGrory
- Duncan Morrow (Appointed 9 September 1998)
- Donal McFerran (Appointed in October 2002)
Sources
- BBC NI - Schools - Agreement - Policing - Prisoners BBC NI. Accessed 3 November 2007
- BBC NI - CAJ Report July/August 1998 BBC NI. Accessed 3 November 2007
- Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 Office of Public Sector Information. Accessed 3 November 2007
- The Members Sentence Review Commission. Accessed 3 November 2007
- About the Commission Sentence Review Commission. Accessed 3 November 2007