{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-life-sentences-northern-ireland-order-2001/article-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-life-sentences-northern-ireland-order-2001/article-7.json",
  "legislation": "ukdsi/2001/0110296141",
  "legislation_title": "Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-life-sentences-northern-ireland-order-2001",
  "path": "article/7",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "Power to release life prisoners on compassionate grounds",
  "text": "(1) The Secretary of State may at any time release a life prisoner on licence if he is satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist which justify the prisoner’s release on compassionate grounds.\n(2) Before releasing a life prisoner under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult the Commissioners, unless the circumstances are such as to render such consultation impracticable.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2001/0110296141/article/7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-30T15:26:45.575049+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."
}