Commonwealth Parole Board Bill an important step towards taking politics out of parole
8 October 2025
The Law Council of Australia commends the Australian Government for progressing the implementation of a Commonwealth Parole Board.
“The introduction of legislation to establish a Commonwealth Parole Board is warmly welcomed by the Law Council of Australia,” Law Council of Australia President, Juliana Warner said.
“The Law Council has been a strong advocate for a federal parole board empowered to make independent, transparent, fair and accountable decisions regarding federal offenders.
“In 2022, we released our position paper on a Federal Parole Authority outlining the principles we believe would ensure such a body’s success.
“The Attorney-General has today committed to undertaking significant reform to improve the administration of justice and strengthen the rule of law.
“Parole decisions are complex. They require expertise and resourcing to facilitate procedural fairness where community safety, effective rehabilitation and human rights of prisoners, as well as the experience and perspectives of victims, all require respect and consideration.
“The Commonwealth is currently the only jurisdiction in Australia where elected officials make primary decisions about parole. At the moment, once a federal offender is sentenced, the responsibility for determining parole decisions shifts to the federal Attorney-General.
“One key reason we have been a long-term supporter of a federal parole authority is because it will address the risk of perceived political interference in parole decisions.
“Independent parole decision making bodies are widely accepted as improvements to the administration of justice, having been adopted throughout Australia. All states and territories have implemented parole decision-making schemes that provide a degree of independence of primary decision making from the executive.
“While we are yet to conduct a detailed analysis of the two bills introduced today, the Law Council looks forward to working with the Parliament to ensure that the proposed legislation empowers a future Commonwealth Parole Board to make apolitical, consistent, and evidence-based decisions.”
Contact
Kristen Connell
P. 0400 054 227
E. kristen.connell@lawcouncil.au
Last Updated on 20/10/2025
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