{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-act-2003/section-249",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-act-2003/section-249.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2003/44",
  "legislation_title": "Criminal Justice Act 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-justice-act-2003",
  "path": "section/249",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "249",
  "heading": "Duration of licence",
  "text": "(1) Subject to subsection (3), where a fixed-term prisoner, other than one to whom section 243A applies, is released on licence, the licence shall, subject to any revocation under section 254 or 255, remain in force for the remainder of his sentence.\n(1A) Where a prisoner to whom section 243A applies is released on licence, the licence shall, subject to any revocation under section 254 or 255, remain in force until the date on which, but for the release, the prisoner would have served one-half of the sentence.\nThis is subject to subsection (3).\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) Subsections (1) and (1A) have effect subject to section 263(2) (concurrent terms) and sections 264(3C)(a) and 264B ... (consecutive terms) ... .\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) This section is subject to paragraphs 17, 19 and 26 of Schedule 20B (transitional cases).",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 249(1) substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 24(a); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 249(1) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 14 para. 8(2); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(l)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 249(1A) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 14 para. 8(3); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(l)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 249(2) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 24(b); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 249(3) substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 14 para. 8(4)(a); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(l)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Word in s. 249(3) substituted (1.2.2015) by Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 (c. 11), ss. 5(4)(a), 22(1) (with Sch. 7 para. 2); S.I. 2015/40, art. 2(e)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 249(3) substituted (1.2.2015) by Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 (c. 11), ss. 5(4)(b), 22(1) (with Sch. 7 para. 2); S.I. 2015/40, art. 2(e)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 249(3) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 14 para. 8(4)(b); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(l)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 249(3) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 24(c); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "S. 249(4) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 10 para. 24(d); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(h)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 249(5) inserted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 17 para. 4; S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(o)"
    },
    {
      "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. 249 wholly in force at 4.4.2005; s. 249 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 336(3); s. 249 in force for certain purposes at 26.1.2004 by S.I. 2003/3282, art. 2, Sch.; s. 249 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/249",
    "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."
}