Judgement Archive – The Association of Prison Lawyers

10 Oct 2025 Michael Quilligan, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Justice-[2025] EWHC 2592 (Admin) – a challenge to the lawfulness of recall, claim successful on the facts.
11 Aug 2025 Smith AC-2024-LDS-000039-89 Final Judgment – Two claims dealt with in the same hearing, the 1st challenge to SOS refusing to accept PB recommendation, the 2nd a challenge to refusal to grant oral hearing on a Cat A review. Both unsuccessful.
08 Aug 2025 R (on the application of Anditon) v Parole Board for England and Wales – Further decision on the PB failure to grant oral hearing.
07 Aug 2025 R (on the application of Nguyen) v Secretary of State for Justice – A challenge to the legality of recall. The claim ultimately failed, but it remains useful for the analysis of the relevant law.
23 Jul 2025 R (on the application of Hall-Chung) v Parole Board of England and Wales – Successful challenge to a decision of the Parole Board on a ‘mistake of fact’ basis.
04 Jul 2025 R (on the application of Ellis) v Secretary of State for Justice – Case before the court of appeal concerning Article 2 protocol 1 rights (education) when in custody.
26 Jun 2025 Kane Vs Parole Board for England and Wales – A challenge to the decision of the Parole Board wherein no direction for release was made. Predicated mainly on the submission that there was a mistake of fact. Claim dismissed.
25 Jun 2025 Cox (Review of Tariff) Re. – application for High Court Tariff review
19 Jun 2025 R(Nguyen) v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 2024 (Admin) – unsuccessful JR of a decision to recall a life sentenced prisoner. C was previously recalled on allegations of breaching his alcohol monitoring tag. The Parole Board held that his recall was unlawful and directed his release.
18 Jun 2025 Catley, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 1507 (Admin) (18 June 2025) – JR of the Secretary of State’s rejection of the PB recommendation for transfer to open conditions refused. The reasons given were adequate and behaviour post-dating the Board’s decision could be taken into account without referring the case back to the Board.
13 Jun 2025 Tompson, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 1471 (Admin) (13 June 1225) – a successful challenge to refusal by SSJ to accept PB’s open recommendation – where the failure to re-refer the case for a further oral hearing to consider new material was held to be unlawful.
04 Jun 2025 Murcott, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] – Failure to grant oral hearing challenge, not to be confused with the case of Murcott determined earlier this year. Rejection of cat A application lawful.
23 Apr 2025 R (on the application of AA) v Parole Board for England and Wales – regarding the grant (or otherwise) of an oral hearing whilst fresh allegations leading to recall remain open and being investigated.
26 Mar 2025 R (on the application of Neophytou) v Governor of Berwyn Prison – Court of appeal held that a prison governor did not have power to refuse to submit a request for early release on health grounds to the Secretary of State other than in a clear case where the criteria for granting early release were not met.
25 Mar 2025 R (on the application of Murcott) v Secretary of State for Justice – The court ruled that the defendant’s decision to maintain Murcott’s Category A status was procedurally and objectively unfair.
24 Mar 2025 R (on the application of Yaxley-Lennon) v Secretary of State for Justice – Refusal of permission.
23 Mar 2025 R (on the application of FG) v Parole Board of England and Wales – Further decision on procedural fairness and the failure of the Parole Board to grant an Oral Hearing.
06 Mar 2025 R (on the application of Fitzgerald) v Parole Board of England and Wales – decision on the question of compensation for any delay in terms of parole board hearings, article 5(4) and Sturnham damages.