# The Parole Board (Scotland) Amendment Rules 2026, Rule 2: Amendment of the Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2022


(1) The Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2022 are amended as follows.
(2) For rule 11, substitute—
“Matters to be taken into account
11 (1) In considering a case, the panel must take into account the likely impact of any of its decisions on the safety and security of any victim or of any family member of a victim.
(2) In its consideration of the case, the panel may also take into account any matter which it considers to be relevant to the case, including—
(a) the nature and circumstances of any offence of which the person concerned has been convicted or found guilty by a court,
(b) the conduct of the person concerned over the duration of their current sentence or sentences,
(c) the risk of the person concerned committing any offence or causing harm to any other person if that person were to be released on licence, remain on licence or be re-released on licence (as the case may be),
(d) what the person concerned intends to do if released on licence, permitted to remain on licence, or re-released (as the case may be), and the likelihood of that person fulfilling those intentions,
(e) the effect on the safety and security of any other person (including in particular any family member of the person concerned), were the person concerned to be released on licence, remain on licence, or be re-released on licence (as the case may be).
(3) In this rule, “victim” means a person against or in respect of whom an offence has been committed by the person concerned.
(4) Paragraph (1) does not oblige the panel to seek supplementary information relative to a victim or family members of a victim.”.
(3) For rule 12, substitute—
“Additional matter to be taken into account in certain cases
12 (1) This rule applies to a case where—
(a) the person concerned is serving a sentence imposed following a conviction for murder or culpable homicide imposed by a court in Scotland, or for an equivalent offence imposed by a court elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and
(b) the victim’s remains have not been recovered.
(2) Where this rule applies the panel must, when making any decision as to the release of the person concerned (other than a decision as to release under section 3A(4) or 17(4) of the 1993 Act) take into account whether—
(a) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person concerned has information about how or where the victim’s remains were disposed of, and
(b) the person concerned has not disclosed that information.
(3) In this rule, “victim” means any victim of the offence for which the sentence mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) was imposed.”.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2026/82/rule/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/parole-board-scotland-amendment-rules-2026/rule-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.