Sections 32ZAA to 32ZAC of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 (the 1997 Act) provide that the Secretary of State can direct the Parole Board to refer a case concerning top-tier life-sentenced offenders to the High Court to determine release, following a release decision from the Parole Board. This section amends section 32ZAC of the 1997 Act to provide for referrals to the High Court where the Parole Board has directed that a prisoner be released unconditionally by virtue of section 31A(4F)(a).
	Subsection (2) modifies subsection (1) of section 32ZAC so that it only applies to referred prisoners who have been released on licence.
	Subsection (3) inserts new subsections (2A) and (2B) into section 32ZAC which enable the High Court to either make an order requiring the Secretary of State to give effect to the Parole Board’s direction to release the prisoner unconditionally or make an order quashing that direction. Subsection 2B replicates the High Court’s powers in section 32ZAC(1) with regard to dealing with referrals for Parole Board directions to release prisoners on licence.
	Subsection (4) provides that the date of an order quashing the High Court’s direction is to be treated as the date on which the Board disposed of the case, for the purposes of calculating the prisoner’s next parole referral.
	Subsections (5) to (7) make necessary consequential amendments to section 32ZB of the 1997 Act.
	Subsections (6) and (7) provide that section 32ZB applies to orders that the High Court makes either under section 32ZAC for release on licence or for unconditional release and means the Secretary of State must give effect to that order as soon as practicable.
	Subsection (8) clarifies that this section applies to all relevant prisoners, including those currently serving sentences, but not those who have already had a release decision from the Parole Board before this section comes into force.
Part 2: Management of offenders after sentencing Section 43: Powers of High Court on referral