Hong Kong Ordinances

LONG-TERM PRISON SENTENCES REVIEW ORDINANCE - SECT 8

Principles on which Board is required to exercise or perform its functions and duties

The Board must have primary regard to the following principles when exercising
its functions or performing its duties in relation to a prisoner-

   (a)  in any case where the prisoner has not been completely rehabilitated,
        the rehabilitative effect of releasing the prisoner from detention
        before the unremitted part of the prisoner's sentence is served;

   (b)  the benefits to the prisoner and to the community arising from the
        prisoner being supervised after release with a view to securing, or
        increasing the likelihood of securing, the prisoner's rehabilitation
        (in any case where the prisoner has not been completely rehabilitated)
        and successful reintegration into the community;

   (c)  whether the part of the prisoner's sentence already served is
        sufficient, in all the circumstances (in particular given the nature
        of the offence for which the prisoner is being detained), to warrant
        consideration being given to having the prisoner released from
        detention early;

   (d)  the need to protect members of the community from reasonably
        foreseeable harm that could be inflicted by the prisoner as a result
        of having been released from detention early.