{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/life-sentences-northern-ireland-order-2001/article-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/life-sentences-northern-ireland-order-2001/article-7.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/2001/2564",
  "legislation_title": "The Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/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 Department of Justice may at any time release a life prisoner on licence if the Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice shall consult the Commissioners, unless the circumstances are such as to render such consultation impracticable.\n(3) The Secretary of State may notify the Department of Justice that a life prisoner is not to be released under this Article without the Secretary of State's agreement; and, if the Secretary of State gives such a notification in relation to a prisoner, the Department of Justice may not release the prisoner under this Article without the Secretary of State's agreement.\n(4) But the Secretary of State may—\n(a) give a notification, or\n(b) refuse his agreement to a release,\nonly if his decision to do so is arrived at (wholly or partly) on the basis of protected information.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in art. 7(1) substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(2), Sch. 5 para. 5(a)(i) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 7(1) substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(2), Sch. 5 para. 5(a)(ii) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in art. 7(2) substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(2), Sch. 5 para. 5(b) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Art. 7(3)(4) inserted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(2), Sch. 5 para. 5(c) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/2001/2564/article/7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:40:34.778468+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."
}