{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-act-2003/section-248",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-act-2003/section-248.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/44",
  "legislation_title": "Criminal Justice Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-act-2003",
  "path": "section/248",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "248",
  "heading": "Power to release prisoners on compassionate grounds",
  "text": "(1) The Secretary of State may at any time release a fixed-term prisoner on licence if he is satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist which justify the prisoner’s release on compassionate grounds.\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 248(2) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 116(2), 151(1) (with Sch. 15); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Pt. 12 Ch. 6 modified (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 245(1)(2)(c), 416(1) (with ss. 2, 245(3), 398(1), 406, Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Pt. 12 Ch. 6 modified (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 244(1)(2)(c), 416(1) (with ss. 2, 244(3), 398(1), 406, Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "Pt. 12 Ch. 6 applied (29.6.2021) by 1984 c. 47, Sch. para. 2(3B) (as inserted by Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 (c. 11), s. 50(2)(r), Sch. 11 para. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 248 wholly in force at 4.4.2005; s. 248 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 336(3); s. 248(1) in force for certain purposes at 26.1.2004 by S.I. 2003/3282, art. 2, Sch.; s. 248 in force in so far as not already in force at 4.4.2005 by S.I. 2005/950, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 para. 19 (subject to art. 2(2), Sch. 2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/44/section/248",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:40.404644+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}